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"The present book in both its topic and its transnational makeup has come at a very particular moment. A few short years ago, globalism seemed to be both a known and an inexorable phenomenon. With the end of the Cold War, the opening of the Chinese economy, and the ascendancy of digital technology, the prospect of a unified flow of goods and services, of people and ideas seemed unstoppable (Moraru). Political theorists such as Francis Fukuyama proclaimed "the end of history." Yes, there were pockets of resistance and reaction, but these, we were told, would be swept away in a relentless tide of free markets and global integration that would bring Hollywood, digital finance, and fast food to all. Religious fundamentalism, revanchist forms of nationalism, attachments to traditional sexual identities would melt away before the forces of what were variously termed "modernity," "postmodernity," and Empire. A kind of relentless, technocratic rationality would sweep all in its wake, bringing a neoliberal utopia of free markets, free speech, and ever-increasing productivity. Were there, in the words of a seventies classic, "limits to growth" (Meadows et al.)? If so, they would be either transcended or accommodated by the same forces that threatened their breach. Climate change would be managed through a combination of technological innovation and agreed-upon regulation. Population control would be achieved by education, prosperity, and women entering the workforce."

The article gives an overview of foreign research on the key topics in contemporary philosophy of education. The first two sections are devoted to discussing epistemic, moral and political objectives of education. The last section discusses one of the most controversial topics of contemporary philosophy of education—the professional status of teachers. Ability to comprehend critically social and political conditions of formation and spread of knowledge appears to be one of the essential epistemic objectives of education. Attention towards implicit fundamentals of expert knowledge and ability to find relevant information to verify beliefs are epistemic virtues contributing to formation of an autonomous cognizing individual. Among ethical objectives of education, we have traditionally singled out personal autonomy, ability to live a full social and economic life, comprehensive personal development, civic (democratic) competencies, and cooperation skills. The last twenty years, largely due to feminist and communitarian criticism, have witnessed development of an attitude that consists in finding the paramount goal of education in inculcating the ideals of love, care and community spirit, instead of autonomy of a rational individual. Implicitly ethical objectives of education are closely related to "distributive" objectives that define the final provider of teaching efforts. Having analyzed discussions on professionalization of teachers' activities, we conclude that, although teaching is characterized by some prominent features of professional activity, its specific nature makes it difficult to establish distinct criteria of professionalization.

"Festschrift honoring Ellis Sandoz, director of the Eric Voegelin Institute for American Renaissance Studies and editor of Collected Works of Eric Voegelin. Essays explore philosophy, literature, and politics, and focus on Xenophon, Natsume, Freud, Robert Penn Warren, and George Santayana"--Provided by publisher