A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal

Indoctrination and the Aims of Democratic Political Education: Challenges and Answers




AuthorsMoilanen, Antti; Huttunen, Rauno

PublisherWiley

Publishing placeHOBOKEN

Publication year2025

JournalEducational Theory

Journal name in sourceEducational Theory

Journal acronymEDUC THEORY

Article numberedth.70032

Number of pages25

ISSN0013-2004

eISSN1741-5446

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1111/edth.70032

Web address https://doi.org/10.1111/edth.70032

Self-archived copy’s web addresshttps://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/499073392


Abstract
In this theoretical article, we analyze indoctrination in relation to the aims of democratic political education using a theory of indoctrination which is based on the work of J & uuml;rgen Habermas. In particular, we examine how the challenge of indoctrination is connected to the goals of democratic political education and how this issue can be avoided. We reconstruct a Habermasian concept of indoctrination and criteria for this type of teaching. Moreover, we describe central controversies in German didactic theories of political education and elucidate the theoretical premises of these theories. Lastly, we construct an account of the challenges facing democratic political education and provide solutions to these hurdles by conceptualizing how the aims of political education can be pursued as indoctrination, as well as critically of indoctrination. We find that democratic political education involves the challenges of indoctrination, but these can be avoided by teaching in a self-reflective, controversial, and dialogic manner.

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Funding information in the publication
The research was funded by Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation. Open Access funding enabled and organized by Projekt DEAL.


Last updated on 2025-05-08 at 13:56