Paideia and the Matter of Mind Essay -- Education Learning Philosophy

Paideia and the Matter of MindABSTRACT Paideia refers to a particular sort of education which has historically been concerned with acquisition for the pursuit of learning, i.e., for the development of mind. As such, paideia is distinguished from specialized learning, training and learning for extrinsic purposes. Paideia is embodied in the traditional notion of Liberal Education which holds that such an education is the development of mind through the achievement of worthwhile knowledge and understanding. A contemporary trend in the literature of philosophy of mind and epistemology is a concern with cognitive functions of the human mind and the role of these functions in the acquisition of knowledge. The functional conception of the mind emphasizes learning (cognitive development) through cognitive training to supervise and control ones own mental processes. The uncritical incorporation of cognitive theories of mind and knowledge acquisition into current educational theory and pra ctice suggests that paideia can be combined with, if not enhanced by, cognitive training. This paper takes the position that such an assumption is misguided and that the matter of mind is an issue which requires clarification for advocates of paideia. The paper contrasts the cognitive address to a conventionalist conception of mind which, arguably, is the concept of mind assumed by advocates of paideia. Paideia refers to a particular sort of education which historically has been concerned with learning for the sake of learning, i.e., for the development of mind. As such, paideia is distinguished from specialized learning, training, and learning for extrinsic purposes. Paideia is embodied in the traditional notion of Liberal Education which holds... ...M.Dent, London) (6) See for example, Wittgenstein, L. (1953) Philosophical Investigations (Oxford Blackwell Ltd.) Hacker, P.M.S. (1990) Wittgenstein inwardness and Mind (Part I) (OxfordBlackwell Publishers) Ryle, G. (1949) The Conce pt of Mind (University of Chicago Press).(7) Lynne Rudder Baker (1995) Explaining Attitudes 223 (Cambridge University Press)(8) Ibid., 89(9) Gilbert Ryle (1949) The Concept of Mind 199 (Chicago University of Chicago Press)(10) Anthony Kenny (1989) the Metaphysics of Mind 21 (Oxford Oxford University Press)(11) Paul Hirst (1969) The Logic of the programme in Journal of Curriculum Studies, 151(12) Ibid., 150(13) Ibid.(14) Ibid., 148 (15) Ibid., 149(16) Michael Oakeshott (1989) The Engagement and Its Frustration 71 in The Voice of Liberal Learning Fuller (ed) (LondonYale University Press)