Childhood, Philosophy, and Dialogical Education

David Kennedy is Professor Emeritus of Educational Foundations at Montclair State University. He is the coeditor (with Brock Bahler) of Philosophy of Childhood Today: Exploring the Boundaries and the author of The Well of Being: Childhood, Subjectivity, and Education, also published by SUNY Press, among many other books.

"Kennedy presents a complex psychohistory that combines a range of social science and historical perspectives. This text is dense, but its complex arguments critically illuminate a type of schooling practice that, by fostering democratic sensibilities and practice, could be a useful engine for social and cultural change." — CHOICE"Childhood, Philosophy, and Dialogical Education is a visionary work that urges readers to rethink education fundamentally. By blending philosophical inquiry with democratic ideals, Kennedy offers a model of education that respects and values children's voices, challenging the instrumentalist view of schooling prevalent today … By advocating for a philosophy of education that embraces the voices of children, Kennedy not only honors their potential but also presents a hopeful vision for the future of education. This book is essential reading for educators, philosophers, and anyone interested in the transformative power of dialogue in nurturing the next generation." — Etemad Newspaper"This work is rooted in a wide and important knowledge and understanding of historical ideas and in the existing literature on philosophy with children. There is a real sense in the text of both provocation and encouragement, such as the core focus on childhood as well as on utopianism. The ideas are examined philosophically in a mature, engaging, and accessible style, and the consistent thread of the dialogical also acts to ensure a cohesiveness to the overall text and arguments offered." — Andrew Peterson, Professor of Character and Citizenship Education, Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues, University of Birmingham"Kennedy is a leading expert in philosophy of childhood and dialogic education. This book represents an important addition to, and in some respects, update of his singular body of work." — Maughn Rollins Gregory, Professor of Educational Foundations, Montclair State University

• AcknowledgmentsForewordWalter Omar KohanIntroduction1. The Politics of Subjectivity, Philosophy of Childhood, and Dialogical Education2. Neoteny, Dialogical Education, and an Emergent Psychoculture3. Young Children and Ultimate Questions: Romancing at Day Care4. Becoming Child: Wild Being and the Post-Human5. Paths in Utopia: School as Holding Environment for the Dialogical Self6. Practicing Philosophy of Childhood: Teaching in the (R)evolutionary Mode7. Intermezzo One: My Name Is Myshkin8. Anarchism and Education: In Search of a New Reality Principle9. Community of Philosophical Inquiry and the Play of the World10. Intermezzo Two: Dreamers11. Rhizomatic Curriculum Development in Community of Philosophical Inquiry12. Dialogue and Dialectic in the Politics of the SelfBibliographyIndex