The Move to a Pluralistic Political Vision of Education

Abstract

Democratic pluralism requires individuals who can evaluate the groups with which they are associated and critically examine the identity that these groups help them to develop. The importance of creating institutions that do not socialize their members based upon epistemological systems that assert certainty and validity for one specific world-view coincides with the demands of pluralist democracy. Education plays a vital role in the facilitation of this type of critique and identity formation. Being able to critique our individual and group identities is crucial to the democratic mission. Shifting to an educational paradigm that prioritizes the democratic mission and the demands of a pluralist society is essential to the well-being of society. A hermeneutic paradigm provides the necessary shift in perspective and foundation. The discussion presented attempts to demonstrate the potentiality of this paradigm shift for transforming education within a pluralist democracy.