Eu opean Jou nal o Philosophy in A s Educa ion
01 2025 ol. 09
Edi o ial
2025 issue o he Eu opean Jou nal o
Philosophy in A s Educa ion
Ke il Tho ge sen
Edi o in Chie
JPAE is p oud o p esen a new issue ha di es in o he i al and challenging
in e sec ion be ween he a s, educa ion, and philosophy. In insecu e and
apidly changing imes o global ins abili y o he pe asi e in luence o
echnology in nea ly e e y domain o li e, he wo a icles bo h p o ide e eshing
akes on c i ique o ins i u ions. In such oubling imes, he a s and a s educa ion
a e mo e needed han e e —no as an escape, bu as a c ucial space o c i ical e lec-
ion, imagining al e na i es, and os e ing human de elopmen beyond he dic a es
o e iciency and echnoc acy.
E
This issue con ains wo a icles ha a e uni ed by a sha ed heme: bo h examine
and c i ique exis ing ins i u ional s uc u es while sugges ing al e na i e me hods
ha emphasize indi idual empowe men , c ea i e exp ession, and communi y
bonds. Collec i ely, hey encou age us o eexamine essen ial ques ions ega ding he
ole and possibili ies o a s educa ion in oday's wo ld. I am pa icula ly pleased o
sha e bo h, as hey o e in iguing insigh s on how he co e elemen s o he a s—
c ea i i y, play, and imagina ion—can become le e s o meaning ul change.
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EJPAE: 01 2025 ol. 09
Tho ge sen; Edi o ial
The i s a icle is "Re- hinking Conse a o y Educa ion as an Open Sys em," by
Cecilia Fe m Almq is . In a unique and pe sonal o ma , s uc u ed as a le e om a
piano s uden o an educa ional philosophe om o me Yugosla ia, Aleksand a
Ma jano ić, he au ho p o ides a sha p c i ique o Wes e n classical music conse a -
o y cul u e. Almq is illumina es he s uggles o s uden s wi hin a "closed sys em"
domina ed by he mas e -app en ice model, compe i ion, and un- e lec ed adi ion.
D awing on Ma jano ić's philosophical ideas, he a icle e- hinks highe music edu-
ca ion as an "open sys em" ha emb aces play, c ea i i y, and imagina ion o help s u-
den s de elop hei own "li e plans" as au onomous, democ a ic musicians. I is a ne-
cessa y and hough -p o oking ead o all in ol ed in music educa ion, especially
hose g appling wi h how o challenge conse a i e eaching cul u es and he pe as-
i e in luence o neo-libe al s uc u es on he a s.
Following his is "A and Play as A enas o Resis ance and Change: S a egies
and Possible Loca ions," by Eli B ude man. This a icle akes a b oad philosophical
sweep, engaging wi h he aes he ic heo ies o F ied ich Schille and He be Ma cuse
o ask whe he a and play can genuinely d i e social change, pa icula ly owa d
Ma cuse’s ision o a "socie y as a wo k o a ." B ude man a gues ha ins i u ional-
ized a , exempli ied by he museum, o en ails o ac as an a ena o meaning ul es-
is ance, ins ead se ing o domes ica e and neu alize sub e si e ene gies due o i s
dependency on echnoc acy and p i a e capi al. The a icle hen p oposes an al e na -
i e model: "hypo-mode nism," a o m o g ass oo s, small-scale, and e hical social-
a is ic ac i ism ha u ilizes a and play " om below" o e ec eal change wi hin
communi ies—a conc e e ealiza ion o u opian aes he ic play. This essay o e s a
deep and necessa y cau ion agains he domes ica ion o a 's c i ical po en ial.
Bo h a icles, hough add essing di e en ields o a s educa ion con e ge in
hei call o esis he na owing o a is ic pu pose and o ac i ely eclaim he po en-
ial o c ea i i y and play o building a mo e humane and democ a ic socie y. They
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EJPAE: 01 2025 ol. 09
Tho ge sen; Edi o ial
powe ully emind us ha he philosophical ounda ion o a s educa ion is always a
si e o ac i ism, whe he pe sonal o communal.
I enjoyed he in ellec ual s imula ion I go h ough eading hese ex s, and eally
hope ha e en you will ge some aluable new epiphanies om aking pa in he
hough s o hese au ho s.
Ke il Tho Tho ge sen
Edi o in Chie S ockholm Oc obe 7 h 2025
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