Philosophical Perspectives on Compulsory Education

Marianna Papastephanou has studied and taught at the University of Cardiff, UK. She has also studied and researched in Berlin, Germany. She is currently teaching Philosophy of Education in the Department of Education at the University of Cyprus. Her research interests include political philosophy, the 'modern vs postmodern' divide, utopia, the Frankfurt School and epistemological, linguistic and ethical issues in education. She has written articles on the above topics, she is the editor of K-O Apel: From a Transcendental-Semiotic Point of View (Manchester: MUP, 1997), and the author of: Educated Fear and Educated Hope (Rotterdam, Sense Publishers, 2009); and Eccentric Cosmopolitanism and a Globalized World (Boulder, Paradigm, 2012).

• Acknowledgements.- Editor’s Introduction.- Part One: The General, Theoretical Challenges.- Chapter One: Volker Kraft, ‘Constants of Education’.- Chapter Two: Robin Barrow, ‘Compulsory Common Schooling and Individual Difference’.- Chapter Three: Geoffrey Hinchliffe, ‘Education, Liberty and Authority: justifying compulsory education’.- Chapter Four: Kevin Williams, ‘Compulsion and Education as a Conversation: Are they compatible?’.- Chapter Five: Naoko Saito, ‘Compulsion without Coercion: liberal education through uncommon schooling’.- Chapter Six: Anders Schinkel, ‘On the justification of compulsory schooling’.- Part Two: The Many Faces of Challenges Confronting the Compulsory.- Chapter Seven: David Blacker, ‘Compulsory Education Cycles Down’.- Chapter Eight: Roni Aviram, ‘Is there hope for modern education systems in postmodern democracies?’.- Chapter Nine: Kevin Williams, ‘Conscripts or volunteers?  The status of learners in faith schools’.- Chapter Ten: Helen Lees, ‘Is the idea ofcompulsory schooling ridiculous?’.- Chapter Eleven: Andrew Davis, ‘Homework: chronicles of wasted time?’.- Chapter Twelve: Amrita Zahir, ‘Understanding Transformation’.- Coda: Paul Gibbs, ‘Happiness and Education: Recognizing a fundamental attunement’.​