Moving Images of Eternity - (Education) by William F Pinar (Paperback)

About the Book

A sustained and original study designed as a reference book that highlights George Grant's prescience of today's teaching.

Book Synopsis

A comprehensive and original study that demonstrates the significance and pertinence of the scholarship of George Grant for teaching today. William F. Pinar presents a comprehensive and original study that demonstrates the significance and pertinence of the scholarship of George Grant for teaching today.

While there are studies of Grant's political philosophy, there has been no sustained study of his teaching. Pinar not only draws upon the collected works; he has also consulted Grant's PhD thesis at Oxford, as well as the philosopher's biography, collected letters, and the vast secondary literature. What emerges is a treatise that reveals Grant's timeliness and his prescience in identifying and critiquing key educational issues nearly half a century ago, from academic vocationalism and educational technology to privatization and the ascendency of research--issues that are eminently relevant today.

Beyond the classroom, Grant's concerns extended to the impact of economic globalization which, he feared, would erase distinctive national histories and cultures. As such, Grant foresaw the current issues of right-wing populism, notably in the UK and the US, as reactions against these historical tendencies. This volume is destined to become an indispensable reference work for students of Grant in particular and for students of education in general.

Published in English.

Review Quotes

Pinar's book is a valuable resource for scholars and practitioners, especially teachers and educational researchers, and not only those studying Grant. The book is written less in the style of a reference text, but with much of the content one may expect from a textbook. With extensive usage of notes, parenthetical comments, and dashes, Pinar's "citation-centred" (p. 377) style of writing blends Grant's thoughts with the ideas of various thinkers. Pinar sheds light on aspects of Grant that have "not been emphasized before" (p. 14), such as Grant's critiques of teaching, time, and technology. This book explores much more, though; it includes ideas relevant to educational, political, philosophical, and spiritual practice and research. Pinar's text provides an abundance of contextual information that grounds Grant's thinking in Canada's history, and in the ideas of thinkers inhabiting similar intellectual and spiritual worlds. Such a comprehensive rendering allows readers to understand Grant on their own terms, which -- Pinar believes -- was Grant's aspiration for how he saw education being meaningfully taken up: through each individual's own experience and perspective.--Aron Lee Rosenberg, McGill University "McGill Journal of Education"

About the Author

William F. Pinar est professeur et titulaire d'une chaire de recherche à la University of British Columbia. En 2015, il a reçu le Prix ACÉC de services émérites Ted T. Aoki conféré par l'Association canadienne pour l'étude du curriculum. Il a été président de l'International Association for the Advancement of Curriculum Studies.