ABSTRACT
In the reform literature in New Zealand, which there is not space to discuss here in any detail (see, for example, Marshall and Peters 1990, 1991; Peters and Marshall 1990), it is assumed that "information" is a neutral term with invariant meaning across spoken, printed, and electronic writing. This assumption must be questioned (Poster 1990). Once this assumption is questioned, a number of other issues are raised concerning power and authority, the nature of the self, and the availability of information. Given the emphasis on information in current educational documents, these extra issues, in so far as they impinge upon education, need to be explored. However, I will be able only to raise questions relating to personal identity in what is, essentially, an exegetical chapter on how to rethink critical theory.
