Unlearning Or 'How Not to Be Governed?': A Crucial "Capability' for "education-as-Paideia' and a 'Democracy to Come'

One view of education (appealing to the Latin root "educare" - "to train or mold") aims to fill students' heads with knowledge and turn them into disciplined, normalized and potentially productive members of the workforce. An alternative (appealing to the Latin root "educere" - "to lead out or draw out") wants to produce well-trained minds and create individuals capable of questioning, critical thinking, imagination, and self-reflective deliberation as engaged citizens. This book commends a third way, inspired by the Greek notion of "paideia", which sees education as 'the process of educating person into their true form, the real and genuine human nature'. This education is not about learning a trade. It is a dynamic living thing in which the ability to UNlearn is essential for developing a good and capable citizen, trained for freedom, autonomy, and virtue.

Nader N. Chokr was professor of philosophy at Shandong University.