ABSTRACT
Contemporary politics has brought the figure of the ‘uneducated’ into glaring view, from Trump’s ‘love’ of the ‘poorly educated’ to analyses suggesting a supposed ‘uneducated populous’ is responsible for the rise of far-right politics. In this paper I respond to this so-called ‘post-truth’ contemporary moment by considering how education underpins many ‘progressive’ or ‘left’ responses to rightist political impulses and flesh out the repercussions of such a stance. Specifically, I explore the ramifications for the notion of the ‘educated’ through a critical reading of political philosopher Jacques Ranciere. I suggest the need to understand the question of education (and ‘poor education’) within the context of capitalist political interests and the linking of educational institutions with elitism and power.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.
Notes
1 Gendered language has been amended to reflect gender-neutral terminology throughout.