The philosophy of education is about asking the most important questions that inform educational debate today: What is education? What are its aims? What kind of education do we need? For whom? Can education make us into better individuals, or cure societal problems? This course examines the ways in which a variety of philosophical ideas and resources can be drawn upon to evaluate contemporary and historical educational concerns more profoundly. Along with an introduction to the field of contemporary philosophies of education, we consider questions of the social, ethical and aesthetic dimensions of education, drawing on canonical and present-day texts, as well as case studies, film, literature, and personal experience, to enhance our appreciation of policy and practice.