PSE4801
2023
ASSIGNMENT 1
20233
, PSE4801 2023
ASSIGNMENT 01 (PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION):
SHORT QUESTIONS (100 marks)
SHORT QUESTIONS Chapter 1: African philosophy of education through a (post) critical lens
Question 1
According to Higgs and Waghid (2017) political and societal problems ought to be changed in
conjunction with the cultivation of democratic justice for all. Discuss this statement. (10
To begin with, Benhabib (2002:169) argues that democracy and citizenship can co-
exist, because the former frames education as a process of active consent and
participation, whereas the latter designates the sense of belonging people
demonstrate when socialised into educative practices. Active participation and
belonging are both conceptually connected to some form of engagement in relation to
someone else – I participate with others in a conversation, so I engage with them; and
I belong to a group where members are in conversation with one another, so I engage
with them by being attached to the conversation. On the one hand, by ‘active
participation’ Benhabib (2002:133-134) means that people are free and equal moral
beings who attempt to influence each other’s opinions by engaging in a public dialogue
in which they examine and critique each other’s positions in a civil and considerate
manner, while explaining reasons for their own. I cannot recall a moment when the
building construction supervisor was in fact civil and considerate towards me and my
concerns. On the other hand, ‘belonging’ means that people are committed to the task
of education through being more accountable to the process and deepening their
attachment to it. Moreover, for Benhabib democratic citizenship education (more
specifically, educating people to become democratic citizens) would at least be
constituted by three interrelated aspects: collective identity, privileges of membership,
and social rights and benefit. ame time make public their competing narratives and
significations, people might have a real opportunity to co-exist. In this way, they would
not only establish a community of conversation and interdependence (that is, they
share commonalities), but also one of disagreement (that is, they do not share
commonalities) without disrespecting others’ life-worlds (Benhabib, 2002:35 and 41).
Put differently, when people are engaged in a conversation underpinned by
interdependence and disagreement, they engage in an educative process with a
collective identity – they share commonalities. And educating people to become
democratic citizens involves creating civil spaces where they can learn to share
commonalities and to respect the differences of others.
2023
ASSIGNMENT 1
20233
, PSE4801 2023
ASSIGNMENT 01 (PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION):
SHORT QUESTIONS (100 marks)
SHORT QUESTIONS Chapter 1: African philosophy of education through a (post) critical lens
Question 1
According to Higgs and Waghid (2017) political and societal problems ought to be changed in
conjunction with the cultivation of democratic justice for all. Discuss this statement. (10
To begin with, Benhabib (2002:169) argues that democracy and citizenship can co-
exist, because the former frames education as a process of active consent and
participation, whereas the latter designates the sense of belonging people
demonstrate when socialised into educative practices. Active participation and
belonging are both conceptually connected to some form of engagement in relation to
someone else – I participate with others in a conversation, so I engage with them; and
I belong to a group where members are in conversation with one another, so I engage
with them by being attached to the conversation. On the one hand, by ‘active
participation’ Benhabib (2002:133-134) means that people are free and equal moral
beings who attempt to influence each other’s opinions by engaging in a public dialogue
in which they examine and critique each other’s positions in a civil and considerate
manner, while explaining reasons for their own. I cannot recall a moment when the
building construction supervisor was in fact civil and considerate towards me and my
concerns. On the other hand, ‘belonging’ means that people are committed to the task
of education through being more accountable to the process and deepening their
attachment to it. Moreover, for Benhabib democratic citizenship education (more
specifically, educating people to become democratic citizens) would at least be
constituted by three interrelated aspects: collective identity, privileges of membership,
and social rights and benefit. ame time make public their competing narratives and
significations, people might have a real opportunity to co-exist. In this way, they would
not only establish a community of conversation and interdependence (that is, they
share commonalities), but also one of disagreement (that is, they do not share
commonalities) without disrespecting others’ life-worlds (Benhabib, 2002:35 and 41).
Put differently, when people are engaged in a conversation underpinned by
interdependence and disagreement, they engage in an educative process with a
collective identity – they share commonalities. And educating people to become
democratic citizens involves creating civil spaces where they can learn to share
commonalities and to respect the differences of others.
