Celebrating Moderate Dualism in the Philosophy of Education: A Reflection on the H irst‐ C arr Debate

The position of the philosophy of education in theoretical or practical philosophy was the main subject of debate between P aul H irst and W ilfred C arr. In his support for practical philosophy, C arr argues that in order to bridge the theory/practice gap and deconstruct the illusory intactness of philosophy of education from developments in the practical realm, philosophy of education should be assumed as a branch of practical philosophy. Opposed to this argument, H irst holds that philosophy of education is a second‐order activity and a theoretical matter. Even though both viewpoints seem to be reductive, it is argued here that the controversy of H irst and C arr on theoretical/practical philosophy of education is more a pseudo‐problem than a real one. This is because H irst does not dismiss the reflection on action as a source of philosophical knowledge, nor does C arr in fact avoid a second‐order activity in his endeavour in philosophy of education. Nonetheless, it is argued that we should celebrate a moderate dualism in the case of theoretical and practical reason.