Liberalism is a crucial influence on the Western philosophical and political traditions, and a framework for understanding many contemporary debates about education. This course will engage with selected foundational texts in liberal thought, with a focus on Rawls' Theory of Justice, as well as some of the critiques (e.g. communitarian, feminist) that have shaped political discourse in recent years.

There are many versions of liberalism, and countless unsettled debates within the liberal tradition. What intellectual and political developments are central to contemporary liberalism? What is the liberal vision of a socially just state? Can the state be neutral with respect to views about the good life? How should individual rights be conceptualized in a diverse society? What is the value of community membership? Does liberalism place too much importance on autonomy or reason? How should liberal societies deal with illiberal views? How does our present society embody, and fail to embody, various theories of liberal justice? What is the relationship between liberalism and neoliberalism?

We will engage with these questions via close readings of liberal theorists and their critics, and by examining the formidable influence of liberal ideas on contemporary schooling. We will also examine specific debates about liberalism in education, including the importance of educating for autonomy and the legitimacy of state-initiated educational policies.