Short description:

“Matusov deftly sketches a compelling alternative vision of self-directed learning. This book is a forceful defense of the self-directed learning that Immanuel Kant feared and a dazzling analysis of his enduring and harmful influence, extending the scope of Matusov’s critique of traditional schools.”
—Robert Hampel, Professor Emeritus of Education, University of Delaware, USA, and author of Fast and Curious: A History of Shortcuts in American Education

“A wonderful read. Deep, thoughtful, and inspirational. Matusov takes us on a powerful journey of arguments for human dignity and self-education. The ideas are revolutionary but fundamentally connected to human rights. More importantly, the ideas are just the right inspiration for a time when traditional schooling has failed, and personalization of learning is needed in the age of AI. A must-read for all who are concerned about the future of children and education.”
—Yong Zhao, Foundation Distinguished Professor, University of Kansas, USA, and author of Reach for Greatness: Personalizable Education for All Children

The book aims to challenge and redefine the traditional Enlightenment approach to education by advocating for a Post-Enlightenment model that emphasizes self-education rooted in individual autonomy, dignity, and diverse experiences. It critiques the Enlightenment's narrow focus on rationality and hierarchy, proposing a more inclusive and personalized method that values emotional intelligence and contextual understanding. The book seeks to promote a radical shift towards educational pluralism, where learning is driven by the learner's own needs, interests, and judgments, rather than imposed by external authorities. Ultimately, it calls for a reimagined educational paradigm that aligns with the principles of universal human dignity and autonomy, envisioning a future where education is a personal and existential pursuit supported by democratic societal structures.

Eugene Matusov is Professor of Education at the University of Delaware, USA. He investigates and works with sociocultural, Bakhtinian dialogic, multicultural, and democratic approaches to education. He is the author of 5 books, 53 peer-reviewed journal articles, 39 non-peer-reviewed journal articles, 28 book chapters, and 20 scholarly book reviews. Matusov has been the founder and the editor-in-chief of the SCOPUS-indexed Dialogic Pedagogy: A Journal for Studies of Dialogic Education since 2013.

Long description:

The book aims to challenge and redefine the traditional Enlightenment approach to education by advocating for a Post-Enlightenment model that emphasizes self-education rooted in individual autonomy, dignity, and diverse experiences. It critiques the Enlightenment's narrow focus on rationality and hierarchy, proposing a more inclusive and personalized method that values emotional intelligence and contextual understanding. The book seeks to promote a radical shift towards educational pluralism, where learning is driven by the learner's own needs, interests, and judgments, rather than imposed by external authorities. Ultimately, it calls for a reimagined educational paradigm that aligns with the principles of universal human dignity and autonomy, envisioning a future where education is a personal and existential pursuit supported by democratic societal structures.

Table of Contents:

Chapter 1: Introduction: Educational coercion as a universal human right.- Chapter 2: Kant’s Enlightened Two-Class Society.- Chapter 3: Kant’s Enlightened Compulsory Education.-Chapter 4: The Birthmarks of Enlightenment Society and Paternalistic Education.- Chapter 5: Post-Enlightened Dignity-Based Society.- Chapter 6: Post-Enlightenment Self-Education.-Chapter 7: A List of Post-Enlightenment Self-Education Principles.- Chapter 8: Procatalepsis: Anticipating and Addressing Challenges to the Post-Enlightenment concept of self-education.- Chapter 8: Conclusion: How can dignity and self-education become mainstream?.