The Formation of Reason

In The Formation of Reason, philosophy professor David Bakhurst utilizes ideas from philosopher John McDowell to develop and defend a socio-historical account of the human mind. Provides the first detailed examination of the relevance of John McDowell's work to the Philosophy of Education Draws on a wide-range of philosophical sources, including the work of 'analytic' philosophers Donald Davidson, Ian Hacking, Peter Strawson, David Wiggins, and Ludwig Wittgenstein Considers non-traditional ideas from Russian philosophy and psychology, represented by Ilyenkov and Vygotsky Discusses foundational philosophical ideas in a way that reveals their relevance to educational theory and practice

In The Formation of Reason, philosophy professor DavidBakhurst utilizes ideas from philosopher John McDowell to developand defend a socio-historical account of the human mind.* Provides the first detailed examination of the relevance ofJohn McDowell's work to the Philosophy of Education* Draws on a wide-range of philosophical sources, including thework of 'analytic' philosophers Donald Davidson, Ian Hacking, PeterStrawson, David Wiggins, and Ludwig Wittgenstein* Considers non-traditional ideas from Russian philosophy andpsychology, represented by Ilyenkov and Vygotsky* Discusses foundational philosophical ideas in a way thatreveals their relevance to educational theory and practice

AcknowledgementsForewordAuthor's Preface1. What Can Philosophy Tell Us About How History Made theMind?What Role for Philosophy?Wittgenstein and DavidsonWittgenstein and Davidson ContrastedMcDowellThe Idea of BildungUnderstanding the BildungsprozessThe Conceptual and the PracticalConclusion2. Social ConstructionismSocial Constructionism IntroducedThe Social Construction of RealityWhy Bother About Global Constructionism?Against Global ConstructionismMatters PoliticalThe Social Construction of Mental StatesWhy Mental States Are Not Socially ConstructedThe Social Construction of Psychological CategoriesConclusion3. Self and OtherProblems of Self and OtherThe Problem of Self and Other in One's Own PersonStrawson on PersonsWiggins on Persons and Human NatureThe Significance of Second NatureFurther PositivesConclusion: Two Cautionary Notes4. Freedom, Reflection and the Sources of NormativityMcDowell on JudgementOwens's CritiqueDefending Intellectual FreedomFreedom and the Sources of NormativitySources of Normativity I: Practical ReasoningSources of Normativity II: Theoretical ReasoningA McDowellian ResponseConclusion5. Exploring the Space of ReasonsMcDowell on the Space of ReasonsBrandom'sInferentialismIlyenkov on the IdealConclusion6. Reason and Its Limits: Music, Mood and EducationAn Initial ResponseThe Challenge ReconfiguredPassivity Within SpontaneityMoodMood, Salience and ShapeMusicEducationConclusion7. Education Makes Us What We AreA Residual IndividualismVygotsky's LegacyReconciling Vygotsky and McDowellPersonalismFinal Thoughts on EducationReferencesIndex