School of Social and Political Science

Description

Many aspects of education raise both empirical and moral questions: what is the effect of a school admissions policy on attainment?; is a school admissions policy just? 

To help scholars and wider society answer such questions, we need to know how to seek answers. We need sophisticated methods and robust foundations for those methods. Education studies benefits from a well-developed field of research into the foundations and applications of empirical methods. However, we lack a similarly mature field of research methods for the moral analysis of education. This contrasts with analytical moral philosophy more broadly, where research into its methods flourishes. Absent dedicated research into the foundations and methods of moral analysis in education, our ability to address scholarly and practical questions is impaired. 

This project brings together a network of scholars to develop innovative approaches to the foundations and methods of moral analysis in education. The network meets regularly for online discussions of work-in-progress. These online seminars are open to interested participants. 

Seminar Series

During academic year 2025-26 this network is generously funded by a Philosophy of Education Society of Great Britain Large Grant. This grant supported a series of Masterclasses and work-in-progress seminars, culminating in a hybrid workshop held in Edinburgh in June 2026. 

Masterclasses

We held two Masterclasses to promote understanding and engagement with important areas of research into foundations and methods of moral analysis in education. The aim of these Masterclasses was to help researchers learn about these approaches from leading experts in the field, and to consider how these approaches may be applied to the moral analysis of education. 

Masterclass 1: Social Ontology as a Foundation for Moral Analysis in Education

• Date: Tuesday 23 September 2025
• Time: 4pm to 7pm (UK Time)

Led by Åsa Burman (Stockholm University) and Johan Brännmark (Stockholm University). 

Papers on social ontology in the moral analysis of education were provided by Christian Norefalk (Malmö University) and Philip Cook (University of Edinburgh). 

Masterclass 2: Conceptual Engineering as a Method for Moral Analysis in Education

• Date and Time: Tuesday 11 November 2025
• Time: 4pm to 7pm (UK Time)

This Masterclass was be led by Mark Pinder (Open University).

Papers on conceptual engineering in the moral analysis of education were provided by Sally Moore (The Ohio State University), and Winston C. Thompson (The Ohio State University).

Work-in-Progress Seminars

We held a series of online work-in-progress seminars. 

Wednesday 25th March 4pm-5.30pm (UK Time)

Jamie Herman (DePauw University): 'Why Educational Theory Needs Social Ontology'

Wednesday 15th April 4pm - 5.30pm (UK Time)

David O’Brien (University of Wisconsin-Madison) - ’Non-Ideal Moral Theory and Education'

Tuesday 5th May 4pm - 5.30pm (UK Time)

Wednesday 20th May 4pm - 5.30pm (UK Time)

Capstone Workshop

We held a hybrid workshop at the University of Edinburugh 24th - 26th July 2026. Sixteen papers were presented, covering themes such as ideal/non-ideal theorising, conceptual analysis, social ontology, and foundations of civic discourse in education.

Participants

We are now working on a proposal for a journal special edition of papers derived from the workshop.

Continuing Our Discussions

The network continues its work promoting new research in foundations and methods of moral analysis in education. We are in the process of planning further research activities for 2026-27. 

We welcome new members to join our email list to hear about our forthcoming activities. Please email Philip Cook to join our email list and to ask any questions about the network.

Group Members