Brings together current research in philosophy, cognitive science, and education to uncover and criticize the traditional assumptions of how and why we should learn through imitation.

Imitation and Education provides an in-depth reassessment of learning by example that places imitation in a larger social context. It is the first book to bring together ancient educational thought and startling breakthroughs in the fields of cognitive science, psychology, and philosophy to reconsider how we learn from the lives of others. Bryan R. Warnick addresses how we become exemplars, analyzes how exemplars inspire imitation, and assesses the meaning and value of imitation in education and society, including how teachers can better use examples and what should be done about problems such as the imitation of media violence. Warnick constructs a provocative, cautionary, yet hopeful account of learning by example that acknowledges the power of social contexts in shaping human lives.

Brings together current research in philosophy, cognitive science, and education to uncover and criticize the traditional assumptions of how and why we should learn through imitation.

About the Author

Bryan R. Warnick is Assistant Professor of Philosophy of Education at the Ohio State University.

Reviews

"...[Warnick's] investigation of imitation is quite meticulous." - Journal of Aesthetic Education

"Warnick moves methodically through his argument, employing well-chosen examples throughout, and positions himself time and again to ask telling questions about both theoretical and practical consequences of exemplarity for education." - David T. Hansen, editor of John Dewey and Our Educational Prospect: A Critical Engagement with Dewey's Democracy and Education

"In an age of often simpleminded character education programs that urge role modeling, there is a real need for a book like this one, which both affirms the value of role modeling and also develops a critical version of imitation." - Kathleen Knight Abowitz, author of Making Meaning of Community in an American High School: A Feminist-Pragmatist Critique of the Liberal-Communitarian Debates

Book Information
ISBN 9780791474280
Author Bryan R. Warnick
Format Paperback
Page Count 178
Imprint State University of New York Press
Publisher State University of New York Press
Weight(grams) 254g