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Towards Intercultural Philosophy of Education

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Abstract

In this paper, we propose an understanding of philosophy of education as cultural and intercultural work and philosophers of education as cultural and intercultural workers. In our view, the discipline of philosophy of education in North America is currently suffering from measures of insularity and singularity. It is vital that we justly and respectfully engage with and expand our knowledge and understanding of sets of conceptual and life-practice resources, and honor and learn from diverse histories, cultures, and traditions. Such honoring provides responsive conditions for our coming together in and across differences in order that we may productively and creatively address and overturn grammars of violence, destruction, and dis-ease in these complexly troubled times. Committing ourselves to deconstructing historical and contemporary beliefs, values, and practices that are compromising human and planetary flourishing, we undertake responsibilities to go cross-cultural and intercultural.

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Notes

  1. Throughout this chapter, we deploy the terms “intercultural” and “cross-cultural” in recognition that the former refers more to an in-between relationship open to cultural identity transformation, including cultural innovation or hybridity, based on mutuality and reciprocity while the latter refers more to cultures moving across geographies and being compared and contrasted for their differences and commonality. Generally speaking, interculturality signifies a greater degree of critical and dynamic understanding of culture and possibilities of cultural innovation and transformation than cross-culturalism. But the two are not mutually exclusive, and in any case, the latter is necessary for the former.

  2. We have left out from our list of Axial Elders the name Lao Tze because of the disputed historicity of this figure, but an acknowledgement needs to be made that the Daoist thought is part of the Axial teachings.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada

    Heesoon Bai, Claudia Eppert, Charles Scott, Saskia Tait & Tram Nguyen

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  1. Heesoon Bai
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  2. Claudia Eppert
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  3. Charles Scott
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  4. Saskia Tait
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  5. Tram Nguyen
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Correspondence to Heesoon Bai.

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Bai, H., Eppert, C., Scott, C. et al. Towards Intercultural Philosophy of Education. Stud Philos Educ 34, 635–649 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11217-014-9444-1

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