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Pinelli, G. Philosophy of Education. Encyclopedia. Available online: https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/59516 (accessed on 14 February 2026).
Pinelli G. Philosophy of Education. Encyclopedia. Available at: https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/59516. Accessed February 14, 2026.
Pinelli, Giorgia. "Philosophy of Education" Encyclopedia, https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/59516 (accessed February 14, 2026).
Pinelli, G. (2026, February 14). Philosophy of Education. In Encyclopedia. https://encyclopedia.pub/entry/59516
Pinelli, Giorgia. "Philosophy of Education." Encyclopedia. Web. 14 February, 2026.
Peer Reviewed
Philosophy of Education
This is a peer-reviewed entry published in Encyclopedia Journal, full entry can be found at 10.3390/encyclopedia6020034

The Philosophy of Education investigates the epistemological, anthropological, and ethical–normative foundations of education. It examines the meaning, purposes, and conditions of possibility of educational processes, bringing to light the implicit assumptions that underlie pedagogical theories and practices. Historically developed in close dialogue with both philosophy and pedagogy, the Philosophy of Education performs a critical–metatheoretical function and, more fundamentally, a constitutive one: it seeks to clarify the formal object of education and to restore its unity and intelligibility. From this perspective, it helps to establish Pedagogy as an autonomous field of knowledge—primarily descriptive–interpretative and only thereafter practical–normative—capable of understanding education as a human phenomenon that is historically and culturally situated.

philosophy of education foundations of pedagogy educational epistemology phenomenology of education educational theory
Any attempt to formulate an epistemological definition of the Philosophy of Education requires a preliminary theoretical investigation reconstructing the historical and conceptual evolution of this field. Such an inquiry intersects with the broader development of Philosophy and Pedagogy—the latter emerging through a progressive process of autonomisation between the second half of the nineteenth century and the first half of the twentieth, marked by a significant “paradigm shift” towards the “educational sciences.” These two distinct paradigms—philosophy-based pedagogy and “educational sciences”—currently coexist within pedagogical knowledge: they often intermingle, yet they also generate misunderstandings and internal contradictions.
This entry proposes that the Philosophy of Education should not be understood merely as an “applied” branch of general philosophy—deriving educational consequences from particular metaphysical, ethical, or anthropological perspectives—but rather as possessing its own foundational status in relation to the pedagogical discipline. The fundamental question is thus: under what conditions can it fulfil such a role, and how might it maintain critical openness while providing substantive foundations?
Contemporary approaches to the Philosophy of Education diverge considerably. While phenomenological realism offers valuable insights [1][2][3] (as explored here), other important traditions include analytic philosophy of education—emphasising conceptual clarity and logical analysis of educational discourse—and post-structuralist perspectives, which interrogate power relations and deconstruct normative assumptions in educational theory [4][5][6][7]. Each approach contributes distinctive methodological tools and critical perspectives to educational inquiry.

References

  1. Colicchi, E. Filosofia dell’educazione e teoria pedagogica. Paideutika 2022, 35, 54–66.
  2. Moscato, M.T. L’oggetto formale della ricerca sull’educazione. Quale fondazione epistemologica per la pedagogia generale? In II Futuro della Ricerca Pedagogica e la Sua Valutazione; AA.VV.; Armando: Roma, Italy, 2012; pp. 374–393.
  3. Moscato, M.T. Ripensare la pedagogia: Passione, illusione, progetto. Educ. Sci. Soc. 2022, 3, 29–54.
  4. Peters, R.S. Ethics and Education; George Allen & Unwin: London, UK, 1966.
  5. Scheffler, I. The Language of Education; Charles C. Thomas: Springfield, IL, USA, 1960.
  6. Foucault, M. Surveiller et Punir. Naissance de la Prison; Gallimard: Paris, France, 1975.
  7. Biesta, G.J.J. Good Education in an Age of Measurement: Ethics, Politics, Democracy; Paradigm Publishers: Boulder, CO, USA, 2010.
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Subjects: Education & Educational Research
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Online Date: 14 Feb 2026
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