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[edit] Rationale

This course completes the 'Radical Philosophies' cycle that is offered to TC through two other courses: Radical Philosophies and Education, and Radical Aesthetics and Education.

This is the second annual seminar. The first seminar was held in Spring, 2007 and focused on the work of Ernesto Laclau. The Radical Philosophies rationale is mainly prompted by the need to address education from a course of discussion and thinking that lies outside the debate between 'conservative', 'liberal' and 'progressive' trinity. Radical thought, especially in its contemporary engagement with Pragmatic, Deconstructionist and Post-Marxist discourses, is proving to be more than a political brawl on the fringe. Rather, students are coming with experiences of marginalized populations that could only be addressed outside the spheres by which education has traditional taken its reassurances.

In the specific TC context, this course also reinforces and works on the strands of interests generated by Philosophy, Cultural Studies, Gender and Trans-Cultural Studies, as professed by many colleagues, whose work generally congregates around broad notions of critical pedagogy. A serious study of Radical Philosophy with respect to Education is also intended to address a general gap in the discipline of education, where often literature remains concentrated on philosophies that directly address education from within.

Strategically we have made the decision to take our study and teaching of Radical Philosophies from figures like Ernesto Laclau, Alain Badiou, and Jacques Ranciere whose work seems to be rarely discussed within the context of education. It is our position that the field of education can be greatly invigorated by way of an engagement with intellectual work that is normally not thought of as a source of inspiration in the field. Students have been drawing from these sources for a long time (often without a focused direction as to how their use of such sources could radically challenge education). At TC we need to make sure that these sources and debates are not ignored and not regarded as external. The work of Maxine Greene is an excellent example of how we avoid the externalisation of these sources. Indeed we follow her lead and what she has done with the works by 'non-educationists' like Arendt, Merleau-Ponty, Sartre, Gadamer, Taylor, as well as authors such as Woolf, Silone, Allende and Marquez (to name but a few).

[edit] The 2nd Radical Philosophies & Education Annual Seminar:
JACQUES RANCIERE

The Radical Philosophies & Education Annual Seminars are intended to follow on from the two, highly successful, CEO&I courses Radical Philosophies & Education and Radical Aesthetics & Education — which have been running since Summer 2006. This second Seminar will reinforce the need and presence of more insight into contemporary philosophies in their relationship with education. This Seminar will also be an opportunity to invite an eminent speaker from within the field of Radical Philosophy to address an audience at Teachers College and for the attendees to examine the relationship between the selected speaker's work and the field of education as it stands now.

Last year's seminar focused on the work of Ernesto Laclau and his recent writing on populism. This year the seminar will focus on the work of Jacques Ranciere, a former student of Louis Althusser and current Emeritus Professor of Philosophy at the University of Paris-VIII. Professor Ranciere has recently rocketed into the American intellectual scene with his exciting work on the intersection of politics and aesthetics that puts forth the fundamental argument that political events are aesthetic in principle because they are configurations of experience that create new modes of seeing, saying, hearing, and doing. Although his recent work that includes The Politics of Aesthetics (2004) and The Future of the Image (2007) places him on the cutting edge of current political and aesthetic theory, Ranciere has become known in the field of education for his book The Ignorant Schoolmaster: Five Lessons in Intellectual Emancipation (1991) that explores the ways that we might begin to envision overturning the fundamental relationship of inequality that exists between the master and the student. The goal of this seminar will be to study Ranciere's work on education, politics, and aesthetics while discussing the connections/disconnections that exist between these fields of study.

At the culmination of this seminar Jacques Ranciere will be at Teachers College (Tuesday, April 22, 5-7pm, 179 Grace Dodge Hall) to discuss his most recent work on politics and aesthetics and participate in an informal conversation with Professors Nicholas Mirzoeff (NYU) and John Baldacchino (Teachers College). The class will have a chance to speak with Professor Ranciere during a Q&A session and informal gathering following the event.

[edit] Course Objectives

This course is intended to:

• Study in depth a contemporary text of radical philosophy.
• Discuss and understand the positioning of this text with regards to other texts written by the same author
• Assess this work with regards to its relevance to the educational field.
• Offer student-participants the opportunity to meet the author her/himself who will give a lecture and who will answer a number of questions that emerge from the seminar programme.

[edit] Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, students will be expected to achieve a number of Learning Outcomes against which their work will be assessed.

As this course stands, it is expected that upon its completion, students would have:

• Familiarized themselves with the text that is being studied and discussed
• Assessed their own position vis-à-vis the basic tenets of the particular theorist

studied

• Recognized and engaged with content in view of the educational field.
• Developed an appropriate set of ideas and reflections that would provide an effective

platform for the further development of their research and interests.

[edit] Organization

Professor

Dr. John Baldacchino, Associate Professor of Art Education.

Office

444C Macy Hall

E-Mail

jb2445 _AT_ columbia.edu

Telephone

212 678 3461

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Instructor

Matthew Carlin, PhD candidate with a focus on cultural studies, visual culture, and political philosophy

E-mail

mac2005 _AT_ columbia.edu

Telephone

212-928-0255

[edit] Delivery of the Course

It is expected that this Course will be delivered through active student involvement. Course delivery will be a mix of:

Readings-Seminars where students will read and discuss one chosen text in dept. The text will be read and discussed in view of other texts written by the same author. Also background to the author's own position will be provided and put to discussion. The need to focus on one text is dictated by the rigour by which students are expected to familiarise themselves with it.

Inquiry-Based Group Work. During these sessions students may work in groups where a number of questions will be set to enable them de- and re-construct their own research interests. The idea is that through peer discussion, students will have the opportunities to have their research questioned and thereby put at the centre of a dialogue. This also offers the opportunity to students to 'defend' their position. Guest Speaker's Lecture and Question & Answer session. The author of the text that is discussed will be invited to give a lecture and to participate in a Q&A session. This will be the major feature of this course, where it is expected that the discussion will move from the general arguments of the chosen text to a more focused discussion of how the work relates to education.

[edit] Day, Time and Place

When

This course of study will be structured over two weekends: Fridays 10 am —5pm, Saturday 10 am — 5pm.

Where

109 Zankel (Main Hall)

[edit] Services for Students with Disabilities

The College will make reasonable accommodations for persons with documented disabilities. Students are encouraged to contact the Office of Access and Services for Individuals with Disabilities for information about registration (166 Thorndike Hall). Services are available only to students who are registered and submit appropriate documentation.

[edit] Religious Observance

It is the policy of Teachers College to respect faculty and student observance of their major religious holidays. Where academic scheduling conflicts prove unavoidable, no student will be penalized for absence due to religious reasons, and alternative means will be sought for satisfying the academic requirements involved. Every effort is made in this course to provide course content in several forms that supplement the delivery of the lectures. Consequently information is posted as files that can be downloaded on Classweb, all articles referenced are available as downloadable files, and the required texts are on reserve. Office Hours are held each week to assist with any follow-up needed on an individual basis. If you are aware that you will miss a class it is your responsibility to notify the instructor and if necessary make alternative arrangements to access the information. As noted above, most of the lecture content is available on-line, however, there may be other resources available that can be made available. Liaising with the instructor well before the class to be missed is essential.

[edit] Class Schedule Overview

[edit] April 11th — Sessions 1 and 2: INTRODUCTION: POLITICS AND AESTHETICS

The morning and afternoon sessions of class will provide a general overview of Ranciere's work. We will begin with those particular readings that focus on politics and aesthetics. There will be a discussion of some of the most salient points of his work especially those related to his conception of equality, disagreement, "the part of no part", "the police", democracy, and the "distribution of the sensible."

[edit] Reading

1. Dis-agreement: Politics and Philosophy. (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1999) pp.1-20, 95-121. 141-144.
2. "Introducing Disagreement" (2004). Angelaki Volume 9, no. 3, pp. 3-9
3. "Ten Theses of Politics" (2001). Theory and Event Volume 5, no. 3.
4. "Thinking of Dissensus: Politics and Aesthetics." Paper Presented at Conference "Fidelity to the Disagreement: Jacques Ranciere an the Political." Goldsmith College, London, September 16-17, 2003.
5. The Politics of Aesthetics. (New York: Continuum, 2005) pp. 12-66.
6. "Politics and Aesthetics: An Interview" (2003). Angelaki volume 8, no. 2, pp. 191-211.

[edit] April 12th — Sessions 3 and 4: Education and Intellectual Emancipation

In these sessions we will engage with Ranciere's work on education paying particular attention to Ranciere's conception of "the equality of intelligences", the dissolution of the master/ignorant relationship, and the possibility of achieveing "intellectual emancipation" in the face of the ever increasing industry of schooling.

[edit] Reading

The Ignorant Schoolmaster: Five Lessons in Intellectual Emancipation. (Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1991).

[edit] April 18th Session 4 and 5: Images

In these sessions we will continue our discussion of how Ranciere conceives of the relationship between politics and art. We will focus on clarifying the stark political choice that Ranciere posits for art—that it can either reinforce the emergence of radical democracy or create a new reactionary mysticism. We will also discuss how Ranciere understand the politics of aesthetics as a multiplicity of small ruptures that refuses what he calls the "blackmail of radical subversion."

[edit] Reading

1. The Future of the Image. (New York: Verso, 2007) pp. 70-138.
2. "The Emancipated Spectator" in Art Forum, March, 2007 pp. 171-180. CU Link web [PDF]

[edit] April 19th — Sessions 5 and 6

Student Presentations

[edit] April 22nd — CONVERSATION WITH JACQUES RANCIERE & Q&A SESSION

WITH PROFESSORS NICHOLAS MIRZOEFF (NEW YORK UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR OF VISUAL CULTURE) AND JOHN BALDACCHINO

5:00PM - 7:00PM, 179 Grace Dodge Hall: Conversation, followed by a reception

[edit] Assessment/Class Assignment

Students will be assessed by way of a Commentary (critical notebook)

• Nature of the Commentary: In this course, a Commentary will imply an in dept

analysis of a chapter or passages from Laclau's On Populist Reason where the student is expected to show an ability to sum up the main argument, understand the context of the chosen text, and find (or create for it) the implication/s that it holds for radical philosophy and education.

• The Format of the Commentary is mainly text-based although other forms of

rendition are welcome (upon prior discussion with the tutor).

• Standardisation: Whatever the format, the Commentary should include full

referencing and bibliography — and it must follow the standards stipulated by Teachers College. This programme follows APA Guidelines as described in The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (5th ed.).

• Length of Essay: No more than 4000 words.
• Submission Date: By no later than a week after the end of Semester

[edit] Definition of Grades At Teachers College

Note: Below you will find Teachers College's Definition of Grades as cited verbatim from the Office of the Registrar (source: http://www.tc.columbia.edu/registrar/grades.htm)

Grades are defined as follows:

• A+ Rare performance. Reserved for highly exceptional, rare achievement
• A Excellent. Outstanding achievement.
• A- Excellent work, but not quite outstanding.
• B+ Very good. Solid achievement expected of most graduate students.
• B Good. Acceptable achievement.
• B- Acceptable achievement, but below what is generally expected of graduate students.
• C+ Fair achievement, above minimally acceptable level.
• C Fair achievement, but only minimally acceptable.
• C- Very low performance. The records of students receiving such grades are subject to

review. The result of this review could be denial of permission to register for further study at Teachers College. No more than three points of C- may be credited toward any degree or diploma. Students completing requirements for more than one degree or diploma may count three points of C- toward only one such award. A student who accumulates eight points or more in C- or lower grades will not be permitted to continue study at the College and will not be awarded a degree or diploma.

• F Failure. The records of students receiving such grades are subject to review. The result of

this review could be denial of permission to register for further study at Teachers College. A course usually may not be repeated unless it is a required course. When the course is required, the student will reregister and obtain a satisfactory grade. The previous grade remains on the transcript.

• P Passed. Some courses are graded only on a pass/fail basis for the instances in which

greater evaluation specificity is neither required nor desirable and is used to indicate passing performances when only dichotomous evaluation is used. At no time will the transcript carry any other grade nor will supplementary statements be issued. Application for the Pass/Fail option is to made during the first three class sessions with the approval of the course instructor. Applications are available in the Office of the Registrar, 150 Horace Mann. Once the option is approved, it may not be changed.

• DP Doctoral pass credit. The grade of DP may be assigned only to a certified doctoral

candidate in a Teachers College course, having successfully completed all requirements prescribed by the instructor. The candidate must request DP credit before two-thirds of the class sessions have met. Eligibility is determined upon presentation of the doctoral identification card, and a record of the request for a DP grade is made by completing a form obtainable from the Office of the Registrar. DP credit is available to doctoral students only in terms subsequent to the terms in which the student is certified. DP credit may not be used toward M.A. or M.S. degree requirements. A maximum of 6 points of DP credit may be used toward Ed.M. degree requirements.

• WD Withdrawn. Withdrawal occurring subsequent to the close of the change-of-program

period during the term. See section on withdrawal from courses. YC Year Course. The symbol "YC is assigned for the first half of a year course (courses with a "z suffix). At the end of the second half, the grade is entered on the transcript denoting the instructor's evaluation.

• R Attendance Credit. Students desiring R credit for any course must request permission, in

writing, to the instructor, before two-thirds of the class sessions have met. The instructor may approve or deny the request. If approval is granted, the instructor may stipulate requirements to be met in addition to regular attendance. Forms are available in the Office of the Registrar to be used for obtaining approval. Mathematics majors in the department of Mathematics and Science Education must have their applications cosigned by the program coordinator. The applicability of R credit in meeting degree program requirements is noted as follows: For Master of Arts and Master of Science degrees, no R credit is permissible. For Master of Education degree programs, a maximum of six semester hours of attendance credit is acceptable in meeting the point requirement, but may not be used to satisfy the three-course out-of-department requirement. For doctoral programs, a maximum of nine semester hours of attendance credit is permitted toward the minimum point requirement for the degree, provided they are not used to fulfill the minimum distribution requirements.

• Incompletes: IN Incomplete. The grade of Incomplete is to be assigned only when the course

attendance requirement has been met but, for reasons satisfactory to the instructor, the granting of a final grade has been postponed because certain course assignments are outstanding. If the outstanding assignments are completed within one calendar year from the date of the close of term in which the grade of Incomplete was received and a final grade submitted, the final grade will be recorded on the permanent transcript, replacing the grade of Incomplete, with a transcript notation indicating the date that the grade of Incomplete was replaced by a final grade. As of the Autumn Term 2004, the Faculty has approved the following change in the policy on Incomplete grades. If the outstanding work is not completed within one calendar year from the date of the close of term in which the grade of Incomplete was received, the grade will remain as a permanent Incomplete on the transcript. In such instances, if the course is a required course or part of an approved program of study, students will be required to re-enroll in the course including repayment of all tuition and fee charges for the new registration and satisfactorily complete all course requirements. If the required course is not offered in subsequent terms, the student should speak with the faculty advisor or Program Coordinator about their options for fulfilling the degree requirement. Doctoral students with six or more credits with grades of Incomplete included on their program of study will not be allowed to sit for the certification exam.

[edit] Attendance Policy

Students are expected to attend all classes for which they are registered and are responsible for absences incurred by late enrolment.