Education has always posed philosophical issues, from the purpose of education to who should be educated. In Philosophy of Education, Nel Noddings maintains that "Philosophers of education study the problems of education from a philosophical perspective."[1] Since ideas of philosophy and education change over time, so do ideas regarding and philosophy of education. Barrow and Woods explain that "Philosophy is not to be thought of as a fixed body of information waiting to be digested but as an activity through the exercise of which men and women can think things through, in concert with others, for themselves."[2] Philosophy is, therefore, something that is developed as an exercise more than ready made knowledge.
In most societies, education is a commitment to something that is thought valuable. As R. S. Peters says regarding education in Ethics and Education, education "Implies that something worthwhile is being or has been intentionally transmitted in a morally acceptable manner. It would be a logical contradiction to say that a man had been educated but that he had in no way changed for the better."[3] In this sense, educational theory or philosophies of education offer little regarding content, but they both associate education with something of value.
Noddings maintains that philosophers and educators of the past debated the same questions contemporary philosophers of education debate with respect to education: 1) What should be the aims or purposes of education? 2) Who should be educated? and, 3) What role should the state play in education?[4] In modern times, nearly all philosophers of education answer the question of "Who should be educated?" with the answer of everyone. Today's greatest debate among philosophers of education is how individual children should be educated. While some argue all children should receive the exact same education through grade twelve, others like John Dewey "...