Ideas of Civic Education in Modern Republicanism

Abstract

The article deals with the ideas of civic education discussed in modern republicanism. The political tradition of republicanism is focused on the problems of freedom and non-domination, political participation and collective decision-making, civic virtues and obligations. Starting from the ancient sources, republicanism emphasized the importance of civic education and the inseparable bond between pedagogy and politics. The article shows why contemporary theorists, notably Isolt Honohan, Andrew Peterson, and Jeffrey Hinchlief, believe that republican ideas about education will be highly sought for in today's society experiencing a crisis of political participation and of trust in public institutions.The ideas of civic education seem like an alternative to those models that consider education to be a market service and reduce it to the private sphere. Republican education implies a high degree of school self-government, the deliberation between students on moral and political issues, and has much in common with emancipatory theories of education. In conclusion, the article raises the question of the necessity for a philosophical conceptualization of childhood in relation to the development of a republican political project that relies on civic education.