This paper reconsiders an educational approach grounded in equality, collaboration, and democratic learning. Within this framework, the student is understood as an equal partner, while the teacher is seen not as an authority but as a facilitator. The paper questions whether such student-centered education remains responsible for the student’s development as an engaged citizen and adequately introduces them into a world that is not yet familiar. This perspective is developed through the introduction of Levinasian asymmetry, Arendt’s concept of authority, and Ranciere’s radical equality. At the core of Levinas’s philosophy is the ethical face-to-face relation, which emphasizes proximity and vulnerability, while also asserting that the relation to the Other as irreducible alterity is fundamentally asymmetrical. The “I” is always more responsible for the Other. In the educational context, this means that the teacher bears greater responsibility for the student, a dimension that cannot be fully addressed within Ranciere’s radical commitment to equality. Arendt, on the other hand, emphasizes the importance of authority as a form of responsible guidance into the world. She argues that pre-political authority – once grounding the durability and continuity of the world and structuring relations between adults and children, teachers and students – is no longer secure. While for Levinas the teacher–student relation is asymmetrical and therefore ethical, for Arendt authority arises from responsibility for the world and its representation to youth. Together these perspectives challenge purely egalitarian models of education by showing that responsibility and authority cannot be fully grounded in symmetry and equality.

Authors:
Jolanta Saldukaityte, Vilnius University, Lithuania

About the Presenter(s)
Dr. Jolanta Saldukaitytė is an Associate Professor at the Institute of Philosophy, Vilnius University, Lithuania. Her research interests: phenomenology, philosophy of Levinas, problem of evil in contemporary philosophy, philosophy education.

See this presentation on the full schedule – Sunday Schedule

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