Review of Undeclared: A Philosophy of Formative Higher Education, by Chris Higgins
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14507/er.v33.4591Resumo
This book offers a sustained philosophical critique of contemporary higher education and articulates a compelling alternative grounded in formative learning. Drawing on philosophy of education, moral philosophy, and cultural criticism, Chris Higgins interrogates the corporatization, instrumentalization, and credentialism that dominate modern universities. Structured as three extended essays and reflective interludes, Higgins reconceptualizes higher education as a space for the formation of persons rather than the production of market-ready credentials. He develops the notion of “formative higher education” as an existential and ethical project, emphasizing integrity, aesthetic education, and humane vocation. Combining philosophical argument with literary, historical, and institutional analysis, this book resists technocratic solutions and instead reclaims education as a lived, meaning-making practice. Overall, the work makes a significant contribution to debates on the aims of higher education and the future of liberal learning.
Biografia do Autor
Ratan Sarkar, Tezpur University
Ratan Sarkar is an assistant professor in the Department of Education, Tezpur University (A Central University), Assam, India. Previously, he served nearly seven years as assistant professor at the Department of Teachers’ Training (B.Ed.), Prabhat Kumar College, Contai (affiliated to Vidyasagar University) in West Bengal. Dr. Sarkar holds a Ph.D. in education from Pondicherry University, an M.Ed. and M.Phil. in special education from Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Educational and Research Institute (RKMVERI), Belur Math, and an M.A. in education and technology from the Centre of Excellence in Teacher Education, Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai. A recipient of the UGC National Fellowship (JRF & SRF), he specializes in inclusive and special education, disability studies, educational technology, and educational policies for persons with disabilities. Email: ratan91@tezu.ernet.in
Mayurdip Kashyap, Tezpur University
Mayurdip Kashyap is affiliated with the Department of Education at Tezpur University, in Assam, India. His academic interests lie in the areas of teacher education, inclusive education, higher education, secondary education, educational technology, and educational policies and practices. His research primarily focuses on understanding contemporary challenges in education and exploring innovative pedagogical approaches that can enhance teaching and learning in diverse educational contexts. Mayurdip is particularly interested in how educational policies and institutional practices influence teaching effectiveness and learner outcomes.
Referências
Barnett, R. (2021). The philosophy of higher education: A critical introduction. Routledge.
Biesta, G. (2015). Good education in an age of measurement: Ethics, politics, democracy. Routledge.
[Book reviewed] Higgins, C. (2024). Undeclared: A philosophy of formative higher education. The MIT Press. https://direct.mit.edu/books/oa-monograph/5780/UndeclaredA-Philosophy-of-Formative-Higher
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