The Learning Society from the Perspective of Governmentality

This collection focuses on how the learning society relates to specific aspects of governmental rationalities, governmental technologies and forms of self–government. It offers an overview of French philosopher Michel Foucault’s theory on governmentality and how his ideas apply to current developments in society and education. The studies presented here reveal the intrinsic relationship between educational technologies and the way in which political power is wielded and people govern themselves within societies. The book encompasses a diversity of topics, yet the authors share a common attitude and concern for issues pertaining to both governance and the self–governed.

Editorial: Michael A. Peters. The Learning Society from the Perspective of Governmentality: Jan Masschelein, Maarten Simons, Ulrich Bröckling and Ludwig Pongratz. The Learning Society and Governmentality: An introduction: Jan Masschelein and Maarten Simons. The Learning Society, the Unfinished Cosmopolitan, and Governing Education, Public Health and Crime Prevention at the Beginning of the Twenty–First Century: Thomas Popkewitz, Ulf Olsson and Kenneth Petersson. From Education to Lifelong Learning: The emerging regime of learning in the European Union: Anna Tuschling and Christoph Engemann. Voluntary Self–Control: Education reform as a governmental strategy: Ludwig Pongratz. Education or Service? Remarks on teaching and learning in the Entrepreneurial university: Andrea Liesner. Participation for Free. Exploring (limits of) participatory government: Kerlyn Quaghebeur. On Creativity: A brainstorming session: Ulrich Bröckling. Learning as Investment: Notes on governmentality and biopolitics: Maarten Simons. The Power of Power. Questions to Foucault: Norbert Ricken. Experience and the Limits of Governmentality: Jan Masschelein. Notes on Contributors. Index.

Jan Masschelein is Professor for Philosophy of Education at the Catholic University of Leuven. His primary areas of scholarship are educational theory, political philosophy, critical theory, studies of governmentality and social philosophy. Currently his research concentrates on the ‘public’ character of education and on ′mapping′ and ′walking′ as critical research practices. Maarten Simons is lecturer and post–doctoral researcher at the Centre for Educational Policy and Innovation, Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium. His research interests are educational policy and political philosophy with special attention for governmentality and schooling, autonomy and higher education and performativity in education. Ulrich Bröckling , Ph.D., is a sociologist. He is Coordinator of the Graduate Research Program ‘Figures/Figurations of the Third’ at the University of Konstanz, Germany and co–Editor of the journal Leviathan . Berliner Zeitschrift für Sozialwissenschaft ."His research interests are: cultural theory, philosophical anthropology, sociology of self technologies and social technologies and governmentality studies. Ludwig A. Pongratz is Professor of Educational Theory (Allgemeine Pädagogik) and Adult Education at the Darmstadt Technical University (Germany). His publications and research concentrate primarily on the history of educational theory and the methodology of pedagogy, critical theory and educational philosophy, school pedagogy and adult education. His research includes empirical studies alongside his historical and conceptual works.