Schooling Goods are not Educational Goods: an explication and demonstration
Philip Cook, University of Edinburgh

Philip Cook argues that much philosophical and legal thinking about justice and schooling involves a latent distinction between schooling as the experience of education, and schooling as the experience of membership of a school. Obscurity about this distinction hampers our theorising about justice for children. He draws on Carnap’s method of explication to engineer a new concept of ‘schooling goods.’ He explains how schools serve children’s interests as equal citizens in protecting their abilities for social cooperation. This differs from children’s interests in education. The concept of schooling goods opens up new questions for theorising about children, justice, education and schooling.

Philip Cook is Senior Lecturer in political philosophy at the School of Social and Political Science, University of Edinburgh. Philip’s work focuses on the moral and political status of children. His current research concerns justice in schools and education. Previous work addressed the ethics of parenting, the moral aspects of child labour, and justifications for child enfranchisement. Philip was a founding Co-Director of CRITIQUE: Centre for Ethics and Critical Thought, and previously Co-Editor-in-Chief of the journal Res Publica. Philip has enjoyed presenting his research to public audiences through appearances at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and Edinburgh Science Festival.