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Awakening from Descartes' nightmare: On the love of ambiguity in phenomenological approaches to education

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Abstract

This paper is an exploration of the Cartesian paradigms of clarity and univocity and how these inform contemporary educational theory and practice. Phenomenology is discussed as a way of disrupting Descartes' visions of clarity and distinctness as paradigms of knowledge and as a return of inquiry to life as it is actually lived. Analogical discourse is examined as a way of giving a voice to this sort of inquiry. Heidegger's notions of inquiry as obedience and thanksgiving are discussed.

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Jardine, D.W. Awakening from Descartes' nightmare: On the love of ambiguity in phenomenological approaches to education. Studies in Philosophy and Education 10, 211–232 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00367745

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