Join us for the launch of ‘Civil Society’s Education’ by Christopher Winch. The book provides a detailed treatment of the concept of civil society from a philosophical perspective, drawing on insights and arguments from Hume, Wittgenstein, Rush Rhees, Vico and Simone Weil.

Extended philosophical treatments of civil society are relatively rare, notable exceptions being Hegel and Gramsci. Most political philosophy focuses on the relationship between the state and the individual, ignoring the non-state institutions and practices that constitute the lives of individual people. Starting with Hume’s account of the origins of conventions and the viability of ‘societies without government’, the book explores the nature of social association including co-operation and conflict and argues for the central role of education in maintaining civil society. Drawing on the work of Rush Rhees, the idea of a culture as a kind of unity is explored. The porous boundaries between state and civil society are noted and the complementary roles of education within civil society and state-sponsored education are detailed. Chapters deal with historical aspects of philosophical discussion of civil society, the nature of contemporary civil society and the book finishes with three case studies of the role of education in civil society: in the economy, politics and in market relationships.

The evening will begin with a short presentation by the author, Professor Christopher Winch outlining how the book came to be written, the questions that it tries to answer and the influence of key figures in arriving at a broad view of civil society and its role in education.

Following this, a panel discussion will reflect on the book’s key themes and their broader implications, offering an opportunity for rich dialogue and debate on the connection between civil society and culture, civil society and the state and the role that education plays in different aspects of civil society.

The panel will be chaired by Dr Sara Black, Lecturer in Education and Society at King’s.

Sara is a critical education leadership and policy sociologist, with particular interest in the temporality and spatiality of everyday life and how this (re)produces social inequality.

Panel

Professor Constantine Sandis

Constantine Sandis studied Philosophy & Theology at St Anne's College, University of Oxford and subsequently received his PhD from the University of Reading (under the supervision of Jonathan Dancy). He spent most of his twenties as a theatre director and playwright. His last piece was a Socratic dialogue about the Parthenon sculptures, starring Michael Pennington.

Since then he has taught philosophy at NYU in London, the Open University, the University of Bath, the University of Reading, Oxford Brookes University, and the University of Hertfordshire. His philosophical interests are unfashionably broad, but he works primarily in the philosophy of action, moral psychology, and interpersonal understanding. He also has an interest in the psychology of philosophy, as advanced by Hume, Nietzsche, and Wittgenstein.

Among his books are ‘Character and Causation’ (Routledge 2018) and ‘Wittgenstein on Other Minds’ (Anthem 2025).

Dr Mario von der Ruhr

Mario von der Ruhr is an Honorary Senior Lecturer in Philosophy at Swansea University (UK) and Editor of the journal Philosophical Investigations. He studied philosophy at King’s College London (B.A. Hons), the University of St Andrews (M.Phil.), and the University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign (Ph.D). His research interests include Philosophy of Religion, Simone Weil, and Ludwig Wittgenstein. He is the author of ‘Simone Weil’ (2006) and co-editor (with D.Z. Phillips) of ‘Religion and Wittgenstein’s Legacy’.

Professor James Conroy

James Conroy was the Vice-Principal (Internationalisation) and Professor of Religious and Philosophical Education at the University of Glasgow, UK, where he is International Lead for Social Sciences and was formerly Dean of the Faculty of Education. He is the author of ‘Betwixt & Between: The Liminal Imagination, Education and Democracy’ (2004) and ‘Contestation and Liminality in Education for Liberal Democracy’ (2003). He is an ex chair of the Philosophy of Education Society of Great Britain and has held visiting professorial positions in Australia, Brazil, North America, and Europe (most recently as EU Visiting Professor at the University of Warsaw). He has served on a number of government committees and has been a Director of a number of national and international bodies including Learning and Teaching Scotland, and is a past-President of the Association for Moral Education. In 2012 he was elected to the Academy of Social Sciences and has held research grants from a range of charities, government bodies and Research Councils.

Dr Anwar Tlili

Anwar Tlili is Senior Lecturer in Cultural Sociology in the School of Communication, Education & Society at King’s College London. His research interests are in the areas of sociology of culture and education, focusing specifically on art-based informal education and civic public engagement. He has carried out research and written on the themes of social justice and civic and democratic engagement in/through cultural participation; cultural policies and cultural organizations. He has written extensively on education in civil society contexts, especially museums. Among his publications are:

Tlili, Anwar (2008) ‘Behind the Policy Mantra of the Inclusive Museum: Receptions of Social Exclusion and Inclusion in Museums and Science Centres.’ Cultural Sociology. 2(1): 123–147. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1749975507086277

Tlili, Anwar (2024) ‘Art Gallery Education Between Translation and Dialogism: Artwork, Learning and Pedagogy’, Critical Arts: South-North Cultural & Media Studies, DOI: 10.1080/02560046.2024.2324986

Professor Christopher Winch

Chris Winch is Professor of Educational Philosophy and Theory at King’s. He has a background in primary, further and teacher education. He has research interests in the philosophy of education, vocational education and the nature of professional judgement. He has published widely on these topics and his books include: ‘Language, Ability and Educational Achievement’ (1990) and ‘Education, Work and Social Capital (2000). He is secretary of the Philosophy of Education Society of Great Britain and a member of the editorial board of the ‘Journal of Philosophy of Education’. He is a trustee of the Edge Foundation, a charity dedicated to the promotion of vocational and technical education.