Stanley Cavell and the Education of Grownups

Abstract

Education emerges as a theme in Cavell's writings in multiple ways, and his coining of the phrase that forms the title of this collection, “philosophy as the education of grownups,” reflects intersections in thinking that reach back to the origins of philosophical enquiry. It is not only that Cavell engages in a sustained exploration of the nature of philosophy; he is also preoccupied with what it is to teach and to learn, with the kinds of transformation these might imply, with the significance of these things for our lives, language, and politics. While mainstream philosophy tends to have given insufficient attention to the emphasis on education in his work, amongst educators his thought is largely still to be received. In philosophy as in education one increasingly hears Cavell's name, but the work is often cited rather than read. What it means to read Cavell, and simultaneously what it means to read it philosophically, are questions at the heart of our education as grownups. What it means to be a grownup is a matter at the heart of philosophy and of education. The chapters in this collection, refined together through a colloquium dedicated to the project, respond uniquely to these themes. Following a substantial introduction by the editors, the chapters are framed by two new essays by Cavell, and intercalated with extracts from the discussion.