Lost and a Stranger to One's Own Words. Stanley Cavell on Education

Authors

• Tomi Kiilakoski Nuorisotutkimusseura

Abstract

Stanley Cavell (1926–) describes philosophy as education of grownups. This article examines what Cavell means by this formulation. It analyses what kind of philosophical basic stance allows him to make the claim about the connection between philosophy and education. The educational role of philosophy is connected to the theories of language, self and community. Special attention is paid to the interpretation of the later Wittgenstein by Cavell. The article analyses Cavell’s interpretation of Ordinary Language Philosophy and the use of the concept of the ordinary in Cavell’s thought. The possibility of seeing the extraordinary of the ordinary is seen as a decisive factor in the continuing education of the self.