Cultural Philosophy of Law and Education

This course has been carefully tailored for students of law and education, providing an introduction, in English, to key contemporary cultural issues. Throughout the course, we will explore and analyse the cultural aspects of concepts such as freedom, democracy, ethics, learning, knowledge, and creativity. To support this, we will examine the works of prominent thinkers relevant to these themes, as outlined below.

Furthermore, the course aims to cultivate students’ academic and English language abilities to an advanced standard, emphasising research, academic writing, critical analysis, collaborative discussions, and effective oral presentations.

Lectures

1. 1. Introduction to the course. Academic skills and the English language

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (General Assembly of the United Nations, 1948)

1. 2. Democracy and Education (John Dewey, 1916)

   3. The Origins of Totalitarianism (Hannah Arendt, 1958).

   4. The Aims of Education (Alfred North Whitehead, 1916)

   5. Natural Law; or The Science of Justice (Lysander Spooner, 1882)

   6. Talks to Teachers (William James, 1899)

   7. Two Concepts of Liberty (Isaiah Berlin, 1958)

   8. Craftsmanship in Teaching (William Bagley, 1911)

   9. The Philosophy of Freedom (Rudolf Steiner, 1894)

   10. Thinkers on Education (from Plato and Confucius to Albert Einstein and Bernard Shaw)