Overview

Authority and the Teacher seeks to overturn the notion that authority is a restrictive force within education, serving only to stifle creativity and drown out the voice of the student. William H. Kitchen argues that any education must have, as one of its cornerstones, a component which encourages the fullest development of knowledge, which serves as the great educational emancipator. In this version of knowledge-driven education, the teacher’s authority should be absolute, so as to ensure that the teacher has the scope to liberate their pupils. The pupil, in the avoidance of ignorance, can thus embrace what is rightfully theirs; the inheritance of intellectual riches passed down through time. By invoking the work of three major philosophers – Polanyi, Oakeshott and Wittgenstein – as well as contributions from other key thinkers on authority, this book underpins previous claims for the need for authority in education with the philosophical clout necessary to ensure these arguments permeate modern mainstream educational thinking.

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9781472524287

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This is an important discussion of an issue that is studiously evaded by the education establishment. Kitchen's excellent study of what is the central issue facing schooling is a must read for all who take education of our children seriously. Frank Furedi, Emeritus Professor of Sociology, University of Kent, UK, and author of Authority: A Sociological History (2013) From Socrates until the child-centred theorists of the 20th century the teacher armed with the authority of his learning was the accepted medium for the transmission of the knowledge and judgement of the past, and the basis for expanding that of the future. Kitchen, with his analysis of the writings of Panyoli, Oakshott, and Wittgenstein, tells us why. Robert McCartney QC, Chairman of the National Grammar Schools Association, UK

This is a an important discussion of an issue that is studiously evaded by the education establishment. Kitchen's excellent study of what is the central issue facing schooling is a must read for all who take education of our children seriously. Frank Furedi, Emeritus Professor of Sociology, University of Kent, UK, and author of Authority: A Sociological History (2013) From Socrates until the child-centred theorists of the 20th century the teacher armed with the authority of his learning was the accepted medium for the transmission of the knowledge and judgement of the past, and the basis for expanding that of the future. Kitchen, with his analysis of the writings of Panyoli, Oakshott, and Wittgenstein, tells us why. Robert McCartney QC, Chairman of the National Grammar Schools Association, UK

This is an important discussion of an issue that is studiously evaded by the education establishment. Kitchen's excellent study of what is the central issue facing schooling is a must read for all who take education of our children seriously. Frank Furedi, Emeritus Professor of Sociology, University of Kent, UK, and author of Authority: A Sociological History (2013) The world of education is dominated by child centred, progressive ideologies. Very few people dare to challenge the consensus. I can count on the fingers of one hand books in recent years which seek to articulate an alternative (and, in my view, much needed) rationale for education. I can think of none that roots the argument in the work of these three philosophers. Oakeshott's views on education are well known; those of Polanyi and Wittgenstein less so. Reading this book, I was intrigued by the way the author draws upon key ideas from each to deliver a coherent argument. Sir Chris Woodhead From Socrates until the child-centred theorists of the 20th century the teacher armed with the authority of his learning was the accepted medium for the transmission of the knowledge and judgement of the past, and the basis for expanding that of the future. Kitchen, with his analysis of the writings of Polanyi, Oakeshott, and Wittgenstein, tells us why. Robert McCartney QC, Chairman of the National Grammar Schools Association, UK

Author Information

William H. Kitchen is a freelance educational researcher. He currently teaches mathematics at post-primary level in Northern Ireland, and has previously authored Authority and the Teacher with Bloomsbury.

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