Rancière, Public Education and the Taming of Democracy

The French philosopher Jacques Rancière is a provocative voice in the current public debate on democracy, equality and public education. He argues that what happens in the name of democracy and equality in education and policy is often the opposite: the 'neutralisation of politics'. He questions whether this current neutralisation is perhaps motivated by a hatred of democracy.

Instead of merely criticizing current practices and discourses, however, the appeal of Rancière's work is that it positively formulates what democracy is about, how equality can be a pedagogic or educational (instead of policy) concern, and what the public and democratic role of education is. These ideas are discussed by the contributors of this volume alongside those of Foucault, Derrida, Freire, and Butler.