This paper explores the impact post-human stance has on the study of the learning process. It shows how this new paradigm which focuses upon the relationship between human and non-human modifies our understanding of education. First, we argue that the educational debate is largely inspired by an anthropocentric perspective. It is grounded in the notion of human self-determination and it neglects the role of non-human factors in the learner’s development. Furthermore, non-humans (both animals and machines) are usually considered as something to be used: in other words, they are instruments. This fact notwithstanding, there is a small minority of contemporary learning theories that investigate the relationship between human and non-human from a non-anthropocentric point of view. An overview of these theories is offered in the second part of the paper. Finally the use of Latour’s Actor-Network Theory in educational research will be explored to show one of the possible non-anthropocentric methods of conceiving and investigating the learning process. According to ANT, learning can be interpreted as the effect of a network made up of heterogeneous elements, both human and non-human

Ferrante, A., Sartori, D. (2016). From Anthropocentrism to Posthumanism in the Educational Debate. RELATIONS. BEYOND ANTHROPOCENTRISM, 4(2), 175-194 [10.7358/rela-2016-002-fesa].

From Anthropocentrism to Posthumanism in the Educational Debate

FERRANTE, ALESSANDRO PETER;
2016

Abstract

This paper explores the impact post-human stance has on the study of the learning process. It shows how this new paradigm which focuses upon the relationship between human and non-human modifies our understanding of education. First, we argue that the educational debate is largely inspired by an anthropocentric perspective. It is grounded in the notion of human self-determination and it neglects the role of non-human factors in the learner’s development. Furthermore, non-humans (both animals and machines) are usually considered as something to be used: in other words, they are instruments. This fact notwithstanding, there is a small minority of contemporary learning theories that investigate the relationship between human and non-human from a non-anthropocentric point of view. An overview of these theories is offered in the second part of the paper. Finally the use of Latour’s Actor-Network Theory in educational research will be explored to show one of the possible non-anthropocentric methods of conceiving and investigating the learning process. According to ANT, learning can be interpreted as the effect of a network made up of heterogeneous elements, both human and non-human
Articolo in rivista - Articolo scientifico
Posthuman Pedagogy, Posthuman Education, Philosophy of Education, Learning Theories, Actor-Network Theory, Posthumanism, Anthropocentrism, Bruno Latour, Tara Fenwick, Humanism, Non-human animals
English
2016
4
2
175
194
none
Ferrante, A., Sartori, D. (2016). From Anthropocentrism to Posthumanism in the Educational Debate. RELATIONS. BEYOND ANTHROPOCENTRISM, 4(2), 175-194 [10.7358/rela-2016-002-fesa].
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/10281/136238
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