Abstract
We argue that pedagogic authority relies on love, which is misunderstood if seen as a matter of actions and subjects. Love is based not on finite subjects and objects existing in Euclidean space and linear time, but, rather, on the non-finite ontology, space and time of relations. Loving authority is a matter of calling and vocation, arising from the spontaneous and simultaneous call-and-response of a lively relation. We make this argument through a reading of Buber’s I–You relation and Murdoch’ s account of the responsiveness of ascetic discipline. In presenting this analysis, we draw upon a case study from a research project on Australian teachers and students.
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Acknowledgements
We thank the students and teachers whom we interviewed for this research, particularly Nick Jose. All our interviewees enhanced our understanding of the learning and teaching process, but they are not responsible for our interpretations of what they said.
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Game, A., Metcalfe, A. The Teacher’s Vocation: Ontology of Response. Stud Philos Educ 27, 461–473 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11217-008-9098-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11217-008-9098-y