A Primer of Libertarian EducationJoel Spring |
In this classic anarchist work, Joel Spring uncovers a long and often overlooked tradition of libertarian thought in education. From Rousseau and William Godwin to A.S. Neill and Paulo Freire, A Primer of Libertarian Education traces how radical thinkers have challenged authoritarian models of schooling and asked what it truly means to educate for freedom. Spring delves into enduring questions: Can teaching promote independence without imposing rigid ideology? What is the difference between schooling and real learning? How does libertarian child-rearing disrupt traditional family structures? Alongside well-known figures, he introduces lesser-known but equally powerful voices, including Max Stirner, Francisco Ferrer, Wilhelm Reich, and Leo Tolstoy. With clarity and urgency, Spring offers a compelling vision of the directions radical educational change can take.
Praise for A Primer in Libertarian Education
“Spring's book is unique. It stands serenely outside the muddy stream of literature spawned by the recent wave of criticism to compulsory schooling... Spring places the radical challenge into its own tradition of libertarian anarchy, and of concern with law and freedom... in simple language and with the clearsightedness of the competent historian. Students of contemporary education cannot avoid this one.” - Ivan Illich
"I find it powerful and liberating... I think this is a very valuable and important book; it has done a great deal to intensify, correct and further radicalize my thoughts." - Jonathan Kozol
Joel Spring is an American academic whose research focuses on pedagogical policy. His other works include Pedagogies of Globalization: The Rise of the Educational Security State (2006), How Educational Ideologies Are Shaping Global Society (2004), and Education and the Rise of the Global Economy (1998).
1975; 147 pages
A Primer in Libertarian Education Retail Prices
Paperback:
9781551641164 $15.99
Hardcover:
9781551643236 $38.99