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Educating through Alienation to Democracy: Engaging Critical Theory in Pedagogical Philosophy
Series: - Critical Studies in German Idealism, Volume: 42
Author:
The alienation generated in modern capitalist societies has a corrosive effect on social cohesion and democratic deliberation. This thesis stresses the importance of citizenship education in combating alienation in order to achieve a democratic and just society. Insights provided by Critical Theory suggest that education promoting social democratic citizenship may overcome social alienation if it is practiced as Bildung in a comprehensive sense and administered with the right dose of political economic alienation. To develop this argument, the thesis considers both classical and contemporary conceptions of alienation in detail and includes in-depth discussions of Hegel, Marx, Marcuse, and Habermas.
Asger Sørensen, Ph.D. from University of Copenhagen, Associate Professor in pedagogical philosophy at Aarhus University, has published and lectured worldwide on pedagogical, social, political, and moral philosophy, and has served as president of the Danish Philosophical Society.
Contents
Preface
Acknowledgments
Abbreviations
Bibliographical Note
Introduction
A. Introducing the Horizon, Themes, and Arguments of the Thesis
B. Methodological Reflections on Research in Philosophy of Education
C. Progress Achieved in Science and Scholarship: Results and Findings
D. Summarizing the Thesis
Book One: Considering Capitalist Modernity through Critical Theory
1 Arguing for Classical Critical Theory: Horkheimer, Adorno, Habermas, and Honneth
A. Classical Critical Theory
B. Philosophical Social Research
C. The Grandeur and Decline of Dialectics
D. Rethinking Critical Theory
E. Critical Theory as Social Philosophy
F. Conclusion
2 Dialectics, Critique, and Liberation: Marcuse
A. Marcuse, Dialectics and Critical Theory
B. One-Dimensional Thought
C. Two-Dimensional Thought
D. Imagining Liberation
Book Two: Bildung for Democracy: from Individualism and Law to Culture, Pedagogy, and Didactics
3 De-ideologizing and Collectivizing Bildung: Habermas
A. Introduction
B. Formation Is Social, Not Inborn
C. The Bourgeois Ideal of Liberal Education Is Ideology, but Not Just Ideology
D. Bildung Is a Core Concept in the Philosophy of Consciousness, but It Can Be Reconstructed Communicatively
E. Concluding Remarks: Democracy Requires Collective Opinion and Will Formation
4 Transforming Bildung for Critique and Democracy beyond Alienation: Habermas
A. Introduction
B. Deliberative Democracy Transcends the Liberal–Republican Dichotomy
C. Bildung is Crucial for Habermas’s Deliberative Politics
D. Bildung Contains an Element of Truth for Human Being
E. Citizenship Education Needs a Thick Notion of Bildung
F. Conclusion
5 Responding to Alienation with Bildung for Critique, Democracy, and Solidarity: Klafki
A. Introduction
B. Remedying Alienation through Bildung
C. Introducing Bildung, Pedagogy, and Didactics
D. Reappraising the Classical Concept of Bildung
E. Opening Up Bildung to the World of Politics
F. Opening Up to Exemplarity in Other Fields
G. Becoming Political by Recognizing Human Being
H. Conclusion
Book Three The Challenge of Alienation: from Capitalist Economy to Republican Politics
6 Educating for Alienation and Bildung: Hegel
A. The General Argument
B. Some Details from the Phenomenology Supporting the Argument
C. Further Details from Nürnberg
D. Concluding Remarks: Formation Requires Education; Critique Requires Alienation
7 Reconsidering Alienation, Modernity, and Metaphysics: Jaeggi and Rosa
A. Introduction
B. Anti-essentialism and Ordinary Language Philosophy Accept Existing Conditions
C. Existentialism and Empiricism Blur the Societal Conditions of Malaise
D. Capitalism Generates Alienation
E. Resonance Is Not the Good Life
F. Displacements in Contemporary Critical Theory
G. Conclusion: Reclaiming Metaphysics for Critique
8 Experiencing Alienation in Alienating Modernity: Diderot and Hegel
A. Introduction
B. Rameau’s Nephew: Open-Endedness as a Principle
C. Satire and Social Criticism, Not Cynicism
D. Alienation as Being out of Your Mind or Insane
E. Goethe Translating Alienation—and Hegel
F. The Spirit as It Immediately Is
G. The World of the Spirit Alienated from Itself
H. Alienation beyond the World of Bildung: Faith, Insight, and Enlightenment
I. Relating Alienation to Bildung, Alienation, and Exteriorization
J. Excursion: the Destiny of Diderot’s Dialogue
K. Conclusion
9 Alienating Alienation through Politics and Education: Marx, Marcuse, et al.
Introduction
Part I. Situating the Argument: Capitalism, History, and Politics
Part II. Scrutinizing the Basic Concepts
Part III. Revisiting Twentieth-Century Marxist Controversies
Part IV. Criticizing Alienation as a Capitalist Pathology
Part V. Overcoming Alienation: Revolution, Reform, and Education
Conclusion
Book Four: Reconsidering Critical Theory: from Critique to Democracy
10 Democracy, Dialectical Negativity, and Political Economy: Rasmussen, Tong, and Ivković
A. Classical Critical Theory Is Relevant as Epistemology
B. The Dialectics of Critical Theory Is Destructive
C. Dialectical Epistemology Does Not Imply Relativism
D. Determinate Negation Develops Universality, Not Totality
E. General Economy Is Not Just about Political Economy
F. Sovereignty Makes General Economy Apolitical
G. Republican Social Democracy—What Else?
11 Immanent Critique, Ideology Critique, and Capitalism: Ibsen, Jepsen, and Langergaard
A. Immanent Critique Is Not Ideology Critique
B. Critique of Enlightenment Is Critique of Capitalism
C. Neoliberalism Is the Ideology of Capitalism
12 From Critique of Capitalism to Social Democracy: Saar, Benhabib, et al.
A. Moving beyond Capitalism and Forced Labor to Social Democracy and the Work of Human Beings
B. From the Ideology of Universalism and Experience to Solidarity and Critical Theory
C. From Critique of Ideology to Immanent Critique and Dialectics
D. Conclusion: Critique Must Be Criticized and Defended
Bibliography
Index of Names
Index of Subjects
Preface
Acknowledgments
Abbreviations
Bibliographical Note
Introduction
A. Introducing the Horizon, Themes, and Arguments of the Thesis
B. Methodological Reflections on Research in Philosophy of Education
C. Progress Achieved in Science and Scholarship: Results and Findings
D. Summarizing the Thesis
Book One: Considering Capitalist Modernity through Critical Theory
1 Arguing for Classical Critical Theory: Horkheimer, Adorno, Habermas, and Honneth
A. Classical Critical Theory
B. Philosophical Social Research
C. The Grandeur and Decline of Dialectics
D. Rethinking Critical Theory
E. Critical Theory as Social Philosophy
F. Conclusion
2 Dialectics, Critique, and Liberation: Marcuse
A. Marcuse, Dialectics and Critical Theory
B. One-Dimensional Thought
C. Two-Dimensional Thought
D. Imagining Liberation
Book Two: Bildung for Democracy: from Individualism and Law to Culture, Pedagogy, and Didactics
3 De-ideologizing and Collectivizing Bildung: Habermas
A. Introduction
B. Formation Is Social, Not Inborn
C. The Bourgeois Ideal of Liberal Education Is Ideology, but Not Just Ideology
D. Bildung Is a Core Concept in the Philosophy of Consciousness, but It Can Be Reconstructed Communicatively
E. Concluding Remarks: Democracy Requires Collective Opinion and Will Formation
4 Transforming Bildung for Critique and Democracy beyond Alienation: Habermas
A. Introduction
B. Deliberative Democracy Transcends the Liberal–Republican Dichotomy
C. Bildung is Crucial for Habermas’s Deliberative Politics
D. Bildung Contains an Element of Truth for Human Being
E. Citizenship Education Needs a Thick Notion of Bildung
F. Conclusion
5 Responding to Alienation with Bildung for Critique, Democracy, and Solidarity: Klafki
A. Introduction
B. Remedying Alienation through Bildung
C. Introducing Bildung, Pedagogy, and Didactics
D. Reappraising the Classical Concept of Bildung
E. Opening Up Bildung to the World of Politics
F. Opening Up to Exemplarity in Other Fields
G. Becoming Political by Recognizing Human Being
H. Conclusion
Book Three The Challenge of Alienation: from Capitalist Economy to Republican Politics
6 Educating for Alienation and Bildung: Hegel
A. The General Argument
B. Some Details from the Phenomenology Supporting the Argument
C. Further Details from Nürnberg
D. Concluding Remarks: Formation Requires Education; Critique Requires Alienation
7 Reconsidering Alienation, Modernity, and Metaphysics: Jaeggi and Rosa
A. Introduction
B. Anti-essentialism and Ordinary Language Philosophy Accept Existing Conditions
C. Existentialism and Empiricism Blur the Societal Conditions of Malaise
D. Capitalism Generates Alienation
E. Resonance Is Not the Good Life
F. Displacements in Contemporary Critical Theory
G. Conclusion: Reclaiming Metaphysics for Critique
8 Experiencing Alienation in Alienating Modernity: Diderot and Hegel
A. Introduction
B. Rameau’s Nephew: Open-Endedness as a Principle
C. Satire and Social Criticism, Not Cynicism
D. Alienation as Being out of Your Mind or Insane
E. Goethe Translating Alienation—and Hegel
F. The Spirit as It Immediately Is
G. The World of the Spirit Alienated from Itself
H. Alienation beyond the World of Bildung: Faith, Insight, and Enlightenment
I. Relating Alienation to Bildung, Alienation, and Exteriorization
J. Excursion: the Destiny of Diderot’s Dialogue
K. Conclusion
9 Alienating Alienation through Politics and Education: Marx, Marcuse, et al.
Introduction
Part I. Situating the Argument: Capitalism, History, and Politics
Part II. Scrutinizing the Basic Concepts
Part III. Revisiting Twentieth-Century Marxist Controversies
Part IV. Criticizing Alienation as a Capitalist Pathology
Part V. Overcoming Alienation: Revolution, Reform, and Education
Conclusion
Book Four: Reconsidering Critical Theory: from Critique to Democracy
10 Democracy, Dialectical Negativity, and Political Economy: Rasmussen, Tong, and Ivković
A. Classical Critical Theory Is Relevant as Epistemology
B. The Dialectics of Critical Theory Is Destructive
C. Dialectical Epistemology Does Not Imply Relativism
D. Determinate Negation Develops Universality, Not Totality
E. General Economy Is Not Just about Political Economy
F. Sovereignty Makes General Economy Apolitical
G. Republican Social Democracy—What Else?
11 Immanent Critique, Ideology Critique, and Capitalism: Ibsen, Jepsen, and Langergaard
A. Immanent Critique Is Not Ideology Critique
B. Critique of Enlightenment Is Critique of Capitalism
C. Neoliberalism Is the Ideology of Capitalism
12 From Critique of Capitalism to Social Democracy: Saar, Benhabib, et al.
A. Moving beyond Capitalism and Forced Labor to Social Democracy and the Work of Human Beings
B. From the Ideology of Universalism and Experience to Solidarity and Critical Theory
C. From Critique of Ideology to Immanent Critique and Dialectics
D. Conclusion: Critique Must Be Criticized and Defended
Bibliography
Index of Names
Index of Subjects
The subject areas are social philosophy, philosophy of education and German Idealism. Targeted readers are post-graduate students, faculty, and other specialists in these areas. It should be accessible at relevant academic institutes and libraries.