Egalitarian Education and the Skeptical Pedagogue: Jacques Rancière and Stanley Cavell on the Scene of Education
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| Title: | Egalitarian Education and the Skeptical Pedagogue: Jacques Rancière and Stanley Cavell on the Scene of Education |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Scott Robinson (ORCID |
| Source: | Educational Theory. 2026 76(2):293-310. |
| Availability: | Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 18 |
| Publication Date: | 2026 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Evaluative |
| Descriptors: | Educational Philosophy, Educational Theories, Instruction, Learning, Foundations of Education, Aesthetics, Equal Education |
| DOI: | 10.1111/edth.70054 |
| ISSN: | 0013-2004 1741-5446 |
| Abstract: | There are striking similarities between Jacques Rancière's treatment of the pedagogue in "The Ignorant Schoolmaster" and Stanley Cavell's treatment of the skeptical instructor in the second chapter of "Conditions Handsome and Unhandsome." In this article, I argue that this pairing highlights the ways in which both Rancière and Cavell approach the figure I call the skeptical pedagogue. They share the term "stultification" for the effect of this figure on the process of learning and teaching. Skepticism and the explanative method erode the student's capacity to show their intelligence and the teacher's willingness to perceive it. I also show that both Rancière and Cavell share an egalitarian ethos in their writing on education and aesthetics. Against the skeptical pedagogue's misleading foundationalism, the connection between Rancière and Cavell illuminates how the presupposition of equality enhances the context of education, focused not on a single proper starting point or a procedure of rule-following but on acts of translation and creative intelligence. This article responds to key texts on Rancière and Cavell in educational theory and aesthetics and develops an account of practices such as rule-following in judgment and communicability in aesthetic education. After describing the skeptical pedagogue and presenting an account of egalitarian education, I show how a distinctive conception of translation enables both Rancière and Cavell to describe ways for the student and teacher to go on together. I develop the connection between Rancière and Cavell and argue that they share a conception of egalitarian education that emphasizes what we owe to ourselves and each other as reasonable beings. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1499374 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| FullText | Text: Availability: 0 |
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| Header | DbId: eric DbLabel: ERIC An: EJ1499374 AccessLevel: 3 PubType: Academic Journal PubTypeId: academicJournal PreciseRelevancyScore: 0 |
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| Items | – Name: Title Label: Title Group: Ti Data: Egalitarian Education and the Skeptical Pedagogue: Jacques Rancière and Stanley Cavell on the Scene of Education – Name: Language Label: Language Group: Lang Data: English – Name: Author Label: Authors Group: Au Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Scott+Robinson%22">Scott Robinson</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0009-0007-9029-1671">0009-0007-9029-1671</externalLink>) – Name: TitleSource Label: Source Group: Src Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Educational+Theory%22"><i>Educational Theory</i></searchLink>. 2026 76(2):293-310. – Name: Avail Label: Availability Group: Avail Data: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us – Name: PeerReviewed Label: Peer Reviewed Group: SrcInfo Data: Y – Name: Pages Label: Page Count Group: Src Data: 18 – Name: DatePubCY Label: Publication Date Group: Date Data: 2026 – Name: TypeDocument Label: Document Type Group: TypDoc Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Evaluative – Name: Subject Label: Descriptors Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Philosophy%22">Educational Philosophy</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Theories%22">Educational Theories</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Instruction%22">Instruction</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Learning%22">Learning</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foundations+of+Education%22">Foundations of Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Aesthetics%22">Aesthetics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Equal+Education%22">Equal Education</searchLink> – Name: DOI Label: DOI Group: ID Data: 10.1111/edth.70054 – Name: ISSN Label: ISSN Group: ISSN Data: 0013-2004<br />1741-5446 – Name: Abstract Label: Abstract Group: Ab Data: There are striking similarities between Jacques Rancière's treatment of the pedagogue in "The Ignorant Schoolmaster" and Stanley Cavell's treatment of the skeptical instructor in the second chapter of "Conditions Handsome and Unhandsome." In this article, I argue that this pairing highlights the ways in which both Rancière and Cavell approach the figure I call the skeptical pedagogue. They share the term "stultification" for the effect of this figure on the process of learning and teaching. Skepticism and the explanative method erode the student's capacity to show their intelligence and the teacher's willingness to perceive it. I also show that both Rancière and Cavell share an egalitarian ethos in their writing on education and aesthetics. Against the skeptical pedagogue's misleading foundationalism, the connection between Rancière and Cavell illuminates how the presupposition of equality enhances the context of education, focused not on a single proper starting point or a procedure of rule-following but on acts of translation and creative intelligence. This article responds to key texts on Rancière and Cavell in educational theory and aesthetics and develops an account of practices such as rule-following in judgment and communicability in aesthetic education. After describing the skeptical pedagogue and presenting an account of egalitarian education, I show how a distinctive conception of translation enables both Rancière and Cavell to describe ways for the student and teacher to go on together. I develop the connection between Rancière and Cavell and argue that they share a conception of egalitarian education that emphasizes what we owe to ourselves and each other as reasonable beings. – Name: AbstractInfo Label: Abstractor Group: Ab Data: As Provided – Name: DateEntry Label: Entry Date Group: Date Data: 2026 – Name: AN Label: Accession Number Group: ID Data: EJ1499374 |
| PLink | https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=EJ1499374 |
| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Identifiers: – Type: doi Value: 10.1111/edth.70054 Languages: – Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: PageCount: 18 StartPage: 293 Subjects: – SubjectFull: Educational Philosophy Type: general – SubjectFull: Educational Theories Type: general – SubjectFull: Instruction Type: general – SubjectFull: Learning Type: general – SubjectFull: Foundations of Education Type: general – SubjectFull: Aesthetics Type: general – SubjectFull: Equal Education Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: Egalitarian Education and the Skeptical Pedagogue: Jacques Rancière and Stanley Cavell on the Scene of Education Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Scott Robinson IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 01 M: 04 Type: published Y: 2026 Identifiers: – Type: issn-print Value: 0013-2004 – Type: issn-electronic Value: 1741-5446 Numbering: – Type: volume Value: 76 – Type: issue Value: 2 Titles: – TitleFull: Educational Theory Type: main |
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