The historical tradition of experiments in anarchist and libertarian education is an integral part of the anarchist movement, and one can find anarchist ideas and approaches in many of the alternative educational projects that exist outside the state system. There is good reason to believe that philosophy is a discipline particularly suited to the kind of rigorous, critical exploration of fundamental ideas, values, and assumptions inherent in the anarchist position. The anarchist commitment to prefigurative practice is consistent with the commitment of many anarchist educators to working within the state school system. The history of radical educational experiments is full of examples of free schools, and the contemporary world of anarchist activism has yielded many similar educational experiments. The status and role of the foundation disciplines in education is the subject of intense debate, largely as a result of broad political currents that are changing the very nature of higher education.