Born from an ever-changing culmination of practice and philosophical theory, education continues to exist as product of both application and constantly shifting theoretical debate that changes along with each generation. Throughout different cultures and applications in which the process of education must change it is seen more often that ideology must conform to generational differences that render some ideas obsolete and confirm other, newer methods that are either revolutionary or are new approaches to old problems. In this vein it is quite easy to lose a great deal of what is applicable to the philosophy of education in translation. Education is an ideology with many different applications which begs for the gap between philosophy and practice to be bridged rather than maintained. (Saito, 2006)
In response to both Dewey and Cavell’s theories it is important to recall that ideology throughout each different culture is not only fundamentally the same, but it is altered only insofar as each culture feels is necessary. Both mutual reflection and mutual understanding are necessary for any culture to endure any philosophical restructuring that might occur within their core philosophies. A good example of this is the Americanization and the onset of democracy through education of those who, though from differing cultures, are either forced or encouraged to adapt their philosophical beliefs to their new surroundings. In becoming a part of a new culture it is important to both reflect upon where one has come from and what has been the core of their beliefs to this point and yet still understand that while they are expected to recognize a new culture and set of beliefs, they are not by any means being forced to undergo an overall transformation of their own fundamental beliefs. Both Cavell and Dewey make this point quite well, but from different standpoints and within different venues that ask the observer to partake of differing viewpoints from angles that are far removed from one another. (Saito, 2007)
References
Saito, Naoko. (2006). Philosophy as Education and Education as Philosophy: Democracy and
Education from Dewey to Cavell. Journal of Philosophy of Education, 40(3) p345-355.
Saito, Naoko. (2007). Philosophy as Translation: Democracy and Education from Dewey to
Cavell. Educational Theory, 57(3) p261-275.
