Truth and Education : Attention, Rigour and Commitment

We live in what has been described as a ‘post-truth’ world. This poses serious problems for educationists. For centuries, the search for truth has played a vital role in our activities as teachers and learners. It has been fundamental to scholarly inquiry and the advancement of knowledge. If truth is now routinely abandoned or ignored, we might be led to wonder what comes next for education. Truth and Education: Attention, Rigour and Commitment brings a distinctive perspective to bear on current debates over the fate and future of truth. The book is informed by the work of a number of thinkers seldom considered in the educational literature – Diogenes the Cynic, Miguel de Unamuno and Simone de Beauvoir – and it engages with others who have received more attention – Søren Kierkegaard and Simone Weil – in new ways. Collectively, these figures provide, through their words and their actions, a deep well of possibilities for contemplating the importance of truth in education. They help us to see that even if we attempt to flee from truth or to diminish its role in our lives, it will find its way to us, in one form or another. Truth is complex and contested, but it still matters, as much as ever, and is worthy of ongoing educational commitment.