Re-engineering educational concepts: a note of caution

    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapter (peer-reviewed)peer-review

    Abstract

    There is currently some interest in the idea that philosophers in general, and philosophers of education in particular, might ‘re-engineer’ familiar concepts with a view to improving or ameliorating them in some way. Here I issue a note of caution about that enterprise. My discussion is divided into three parts. In the first, I draw on some recent work by David Chalmers to clarify the distinction between engineering new concepts and re-engineering old ones and to supply a general reason for thinking philosophers should favour the former. In the second part, I argue that philosophers of education (and philosophers of other practical activities) have some additional reasons to refrain from trying to re-engineer everyday concepts. And in the third, I consider two recent arguments for re-engineering the concept of education and find them wanting.
    Original languageEnglish
    Title of host publicationConceptual Engineering in Education
    Subtitle of host publicationPhilosophical Analysis for Educational Problems
    EditorsJane Gatley, Christian Norefalk
    PublisherBrill
    Chapter3
    Pages32-45
    Number of pages14
    ISBN (Electronic)9783969753033
    ISBN (Print)9783957433039
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 19 Jan 2024

    Publication series

    NamePhilosophy of Education. Debates and Constellations
    PublisherBrill
    ISSN (Print)2700-1172

    Keywords

    • re-engineering
    • de novo engineering
    • conceptual geography
    • theoretical interference
    • ordinary language

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