Abstract

Political education is a necessary precondition for the continuation of any political regime. In pluralist societies we face the question to what extent can a liberal democracy define the educational ideal of what “good citizenship” means. Building on the works of Michael Oakeshott and Bernard Crick, this essay shows that political philosophy can help define the parameters of this education when it is seen as a process of building political comprehension and civic dispositions. Political education should be defined by teaching politics as a practical process of living together in a community of equals and espousing the procedural values of discussion, respect for facts, equality and freedom.