This volume investigates the foundational questions and evolving theories that define the purpose, methods, and ethics of education. Steven M. Cahn, a prominent scholar in the field of philosophy of education, curates a selection of primary source texts ranging from classical antiquity to modern discourse. The collection provides a framework for students to analyze the tension between individual development and societal needs within various educational models.

This collection is widely utilized in university-level philosophy of education courses for its balanced selection of canonical and modern perspectives. Educators frequently note that the text provides a rigorous introduction to the conceptual problems inherent in teaching and learning.