The Political Need for Philosophic Love in Classrooms: Empathic, Soulful Interbeing and Bonafide, Hope-Filled Democracy

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Saturday 5:10 pm Four Seasons Ballroom 2-3
  In Roundtable Session: Reconsidering Good Teaching (Table 2)

Abstract

At last year’s AERA, David Hansen put forward the term “psychagogy,” soul-centered pedagogy, as perhaps addressing the needs of this particular educational moment better than any other. This paper outlines a broad intellectual and historical framework for this term, and postulates that a soul-centered understanding of education can birth a soulful, hope-filled renaissance of democratic life. “The phoenix of a new humanity” can arise from the ashes of our technocratic pseudo-civilization—and dispel the dark night of the democratic soul now voiced in the choices of many to turn to tyrants to find meaning in life (Husserl, 1936)—if we just learn to play our educational and philosophical cards anew and aright: through the deliberate soulful imbuing of educative practice.

Author

• Bruce J. Novak, Foundation for Ethics and Meaning