Abstract:
This paper takes up Peter Sloterdijk’s seminal treatment of Heidegger’s ‘Letter on Humanism’ (Sloterdijk, 2009) as a means of re-examining what might constitute a post-modern education for our times. It does so by elaborating and then extending the features of both Sloterdijk’s criticism of Heidegger and his views on Humanism, with references to several philosophical themes drawn from the works of Nietzsche. In particular, the paper aims to examine the educational implications of Sloterdijk’s ideas, presented here and elsewhere (e.g. Sloterdijk, 2013), in light of Nietzsche’s views on morality, metaphysics, the role of the artist, time, and his concept of ‘the eternal return’. Specifically, this paper seeks to combine educational readings of Sloterdijk and Nietzsche to demonstrate the viability of an educational philosophy that is more expansive and artistic than those enacted through contemporary practices in schooling and higher education. Sloterdijk, P. (2013). You must change your life. Trans. W. Hoban. Polity Press: Cambridge, UK.Sloterdijk, P. (2009). Rules for the Human Zoo: a response to the Letter on Humanism. Trans. M. Rorty. Environment and Planning D: Space and Society, 27, pp 12-28.