Political Philosophies and Why They Matter

Abstract

Liberal democracies inherently confront the problem of plural belief systems. How much freedom is enough? Who decides? What binds free citizens together? These are the questions asked by political philosophy, which considers the possible configurations that can exist between the state, the individual, and civil society. Berner locates education within these models, contrasting Amy Gutmann and William Galston’s theories on democratic schooling and referencing Alexis de Tocqueville’s contribution on civil society. Drawing upon political philosophy, Berner outlines the history of America’s uniform school system and its striking contrast with the development of educational pluralism in the Netherlands. Finally, she suggests that a plural, rather than a uniform, educational system comports with democratic theory and practice.