Children, Bonsai Trees and Open Education

Abstract

I claim that the central model of theories of Open Education

involves at least four normative and epistemological theses:

(1) the thesis of normative developmentalism;

(2) the thesis of affective primitivism;

(3) the thesis of motivational simplicity;

( 4) the Cartesian thesis of privileged, incorrigible access to

conscious events.

I first examine the theses. I then articulate various philosophical

reservations which I have about them. Although I

reject the model, I do not reject one of the ultimate goals of

Open Education, viz., the formation of communities of growing,

loving, open, and self-directed persons.