ABSTRACT
Jean-Francois Lyotard was one of the principal French philosophers and intellectuals of the twentieth century. He is considered by many scholars as one of the leading figures in the 'postmodern debate' in philosophy. Postmodern knowledge is not simply a tool of the authorities; it refines the sensitivity to differences and reinforces people's ability to tolerate the incommensurable. Its principle is not the expert's homology, but the inventor's paralogy. Jean-Francois Lyotard was born in Versailles in 1924. He studied phenomenology with Merleau-Ponty, and his first philosophical publication, La Phenomenologie translated into English in 1991 dealt primarily with the work of his mentor. Lyotard's work constitutes a seminal contribution to what has become known as the modernity/postmodernity debate, a debate that has involved many of the most prominent contemporary philosophers and social theorists. Lyotard's work directly addresses the concerns of education, especially in the areas of educational philosophy and theory, and of educational policy.
