MACMILLAN Dewey, Heidegger, and the Future of Education: Beyondness and Becoming

Drawing on insights into the philosophies of Dewey and Heidegger, this book moves forward the greater philosophical discourse surrounding education.  It illuminates deep affinities between the corresponding traditions of Dewey and Heidegger, broadly labeled hermeneutics and pragmatism, and in doing so reveals the potential of the Dewey-Heidegger comparison for the future of education.  To accomplish this task, Vasco d’Agnese explores the Deweyan and Heideggerian understanding of existence and experience. Both thinkers believed that humans are vulnerable from the very beginning, delivered to an uncanny and uncertain condition. On the other hand, such an uncanniness and dependency, rather than flowing in nihilistic defeat of educational purposes, puts radical responsibility on the side of the subject. It is, then, educationally promising. The book explains that for both Dewey and Heidegger, being a subject means being-with-others while transcending and advancing one’s boundaries, thus challenging the managerial framework of education that currently dominates educational institutions throughout the world.  Review “Vasco d’Agnese’s book offers a valuable contribution to the debate regarding what educational alternative might replace the managerialism that continues its unfortunate reign over contemporary institutions of learning around much of the world. His return to John Dewey and Martin Heidegger is well conceived and important. Among the major themes that he takes up are imagination and possibility, mystery and unpredictability, growth and openness, freedom and becoming. The conception of thinking and agency that emerges takes us away from control and mastery and toward something far more imaginative that what we are hearing from most contemporary educationalists.” (Paul Fairfield, Professor, Department of Philosophy, Queen's University, Canada)     From the Back Cover Drawing on insights into the philosophies of Dewey and Heidegger, this book moves forward the greater philosophical discourse surrounding education.  It illuminates deep affinities between the corresponding traditions of Dewey and Heidegger, broadly labeled hermeneutics and pragmatism, and in doing so reveals the potential of the Dewey-Heidegger comparison for the future of education.  To accomplish this task, Vasco d’Agnese explores the Deweyan and Heideggerian understanding of existence and experience. Both thinkers believed that humans are vulnerable from the very beginning, delivered to an uncanny and uncertain condition. On the other hand, such an uncanniness and dependency, rather than flowing in nihilistic defeat of educational purposes, puts radical responsibility on the side of the subject. It is, then, educationally promising. The book explains that for both Dewey and Heidegger, being a subject means being-with-others while transcending and advancing one’s boundaries, thus challenging the managerial framework of education that currently dominates educational institutions throughout the world.  About the Author Vasco d’Agnese is Associate Professor of Education in the Department of Psychology, University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Italy.