Secular and Spiritual Values: Grounds for Hope in Education

Originally published in 1990, educational debate in the western world was dominated by pragmatic, utilitarian values. The prevailing assumption was that education should be geared towards fitting people into the world of work. Dudley Plunkett broke new ground in this debate by seeking to reconcile secular and spiritual values in educational policy and practice. Secular and Spiritual Values presents a critique of the influence of enterprise culture on education. It argues that the resurgence of interest in the spiritual today represents a return to an essential aspect of human nature, and maintains that the spiritual perspective can provide a context for the regeneration of values in education. It indicates a way forward which, while not denying pragmatism, rationalism or holistic values, calls for openness to a spiritual reality that is seen as primary. It also assesses the practical implications and priorities for action if education is to contribute to the exploration of the spiritual as well as the intellectual and emotional dimensions of human experience. This book has grown out of the author’s twenty-five years’ experience in educational studies, and from his particular preoccupation with values in education. It should still be of interest to those concerned with the nature and purpose of education: teachers, parents, educational policy-makers and administrators and academics in the field.