The Power of Authority: Challenging Educational Theory and Practice

In the modern pedagogical tradition, ‘authority’ refers to the educator's duty to make decisions and take responsibility when the child cannot yet do so. In this article, the author argues that this notion of authority is difficult not only because of the precarious balance Kant noted between freedom and constraint within education, but also because authority implies social references and measures, and therefore power structures and domination. Focusing on a pedagogical scene from the French documentary Être et avoir, this article analyzes the logic of power with reference to the works of Foucault, Bourdieu, and Derrida. The article closes with reflections on the role of educational philosophy concerning the ‘power of authority’.