Dennis Carlson
2002
This book intrigues and infuriates. Author Dennis Carlson exposes the reader to big ideas that span human history, admirably explaining, for instance, the significance of Plato's "cave analogy" in The Republic. That analogy, he writes, is a dichotomy between knowing and knowledge, logos and mythos, which in turn is the basis for the two primary views of education - progressive and traditional. He also explores the work of such other major thinkers as Heidegger, Nietzsche, and Saint Augustine. But his book - billed by the publisher as a "tour de force" - is also dangerous because it's filled with contradiction, faulty analysis, and political bias. In typical progressivist fashion, Carlson laments that today's students spend too much time learning facts, and not enough on developing new knowledge. He spends much time espousing radical leftist theories, decrying the "dominant hegemonic order," and commending such outrages as 1999's lawless anti-globalism protests in Seattle. Building on a synthesis of philosophy and trends in current affairs and economics, Carlson seeks to construct a new progressivism. But his model veers far left of many progressive educators. The extent of his fanaticism becomes obvious when readers encounter statements that run counter to all research and conventional wisdom, such as this one: "Conservative professors still outnumber progressive professors on most campuses, and especially in liberal arts institutions; and conservative professors have, more than progressives, engaged in 'indoctrinating' students into accepting a 'correct' truth about the world. They, after all, are the ones who view themselves as guardians of timeless truths and values." For more information, see http://www.routledge-ny.com/books.cfm?isbn=0415933765.
