| My thesis centers on a critical analysis of the concept of the "educated person" in Kieran Egan's theory of educational development. Egan presupposes that the erudite human being in western societies is ideally a sophisticated ironic thinker, that is, a person who possesses the fullest range of sense making capacities known to our culture; and furthermore, a person who tactfully and innovatively applies these capacities in everyday life.;My thesis attempts a "thick" description of Egan's notion of ironic understanding in light of the writings of Martin Buber on dialogue, Hannah Arendt on human thinking, Hans Georg Gadamer on the serious playfulness of the interpretative act, Richard Rorty on private irony and liberal democracy, and finally, Michael Oakeshott on the educational conversation. It suggests that these theoretical notions of the fully human life may be practically realized in the educated ironist characterized by Egan in his various writings. |
