Education, extremism and exemption from basic morality

Seminar followed by drinks.

This seminar is part of a Dutch-Flemish branch seminar mini-series intended to illustrate the value of philosophy of education for educational practice, policy and research.

In this first seminar Michael Hand will talk about education, extremism and exemption from basic morality: Are there things schools can do to build pupils’ resilience to extremism? The UK ‘Prevent duty’ assumes there are, but schools are poorly served by existing government advice. Hand offers a cautious defence of the idea that the acquisition of extremist beliefs and attitudes can be forestalled by educational means. He focuses in on what he takes to be a core ideological commitment of extremism: the belief that there is an ideal so worthy as to exempt those who pursue it from the requirements of basic morality.

Please e-mail me to register: a.schinkel@vu.nl.