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From conceptual analysis to visions of the good Section (i) Conceptual analysis The approach of conceptual analysis has been understood by some as a means of revealing the basic building blocks of meaning of which our world is made up – its atomic structure, you might say. Thus, the examination of a concept such as education is a means of revealing its essential nature – that is, of showing what it must fundamentally involve, no matter where or when it takes place. Thus, for example, it is an essential condition of education that learning must take place. See John Wilson as a strong advocate of this approach. Others have undertaken conceptual analysis in a more pragmatic way – as a means to become more clear about the concepts that are at issue, with a view to making them more clear and distinct. The idea of clear and distinct ideas derives from Ren é Descartes . So conceptual analysis can be accepted as an important part of the work of the philosopher, even though the metaphysical claims of the approach (about the underlying structure of the world) may not be accepted. Consider the following as examples of the value of the approach. It's important to notice though the way that the task of analysis may not be quite the same in each case. Terms may be new-fangled (‘lifelong learning'), they may be contemporary jargon phrases (‘quality assurance', ‘reading readiness'), or they may be more or less natural terms in the language but have acquired a political importance as a result of contemporary changes in practice (‘standards'). Hence in each case it is important to ask how far the analysis can be undertaken in a ‘pure' way, in the light of the logic of the concepts at stake, and how far the historical and political context will need to be taken into account. Authority [under construction] Indoctrination [under construction] Lifelong learning [under construction] Quality [under construction]
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