ABSTRACT
To conceptualize education as an independent knowledge discipline with its own authenticity based on a philosophy of practice, requires a close definition of each term. In relation to knowledge, the British philosopher of education Paul Quentin Hirst suggested that it can be thought of as becoming aware of experience regarding 'structure, organized and made meaningful in some quite specific way.' Education, as a form of knowledge is not like this, but is generally broken up into various parts to be used as the occasion demands. Whether or not religion should be considered as a cultural practice, or as a distinct ideology will have an important impact on public systems of education. Conservatism has been chosen as the next philosophy to consider, not only because of its extensive political and historical reach, but because it challenges pragmatism to explain its occurrence.
