ABSTRACT
Providing a comprehensive introduction to the philosophy of higher education this book steps nimbly through the field, leading it into new areas and advancing an imaginative ecological realism.
Each chapter takes the form of a short essay, tackling a particular topic such as values, knowledge, teaching, critical thinking and social justice. It also examines key issues including academic freedom, the digital university and the Anthropocene, and draws on classic as well as contemporary texts in the field.
Composed of five parts, the book travels on a compelling journey:
- Part one identifies foundations of the field, distinguishing between the ideas of university and higher education,
- Part two examines key concepts, including research, culture, academic freedom and reason,
- Part three focuses on higher education as a set of educational practices and being a student,
- Part four is concerned with the university as an institution and includes the matters of leadership and the spirit of the university,
- Part five turns to the university in the world, and argues for an ecological perspective.
Written in a lively and accessible style, and ideal for anyone coming to the field for the first time but also of interest to experienced scholars, this book offers sightings of new possibilities for higher education and the university.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
part I|47 pages
Foundations
part II|46 pages
Key concepts
part III|46 pages
Teaching, learning and the student
part IV|46 pages
The university as an institution
part V|46 pages
Higher education and the world