TAS Seminars

#5 Philosophy and Education

February 11 and 25, 2013

Stanley N. Katz, Ph.D.
Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs

9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

We will devote the first seminar to an examination of the origins of the modern American conception of "philanthropy” as an innovative method of using private wealth to secure the public good.  This was a conception, institutionalized in the private philanthropic foundation, of private investment in research on the underlying causes of fundamental societal problems, in the hope of identifying strategies to address the underlying problems of humankind.  John D. Rockefeller, Sr. and Andrew Carnegie were the model-builders, and over the course of the last century the philanthropic foundation grew in size, function and mission.  Over the past twenty years we have seen the emergence of mega-foundations (think the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation) that have taken the institution in new directions.  The question I want you to ask is whether these new directions are good for democracy?  The primary readings this week will be the recent book by Olivier Zunz (Philanthropy in America) and a couple of my scholarly articles.

The second week we will address the impact of philanthropy upon education in the United States.  The story begins in the late 19^th century with foundation funding of "Negro education” in the South, continues with the major efforts of the foundations to influence the development of higher education, including the creation of the social sciences.  But, particularly after World War II, the foundations also turn their attention to K-12 education, and in recent years there have been major (and successful) efforts by large foundations to influence (set?) national K-12 policy.  At the same time, wealthy school districts increasingly establish private foundations to support aspects of their programs, with considerable impact on the character and quality of public education.  The question I want you to ask is whether this foundation investment in public education is altogether good for democracy?  The primary readings this week will be selections from recent articles on foundations and education, including a couple of my own pieces.

Stan Katz, Ph. D. teaches courses on democracy, civil society and nonprofit organizations at the Woodrow Wilson School. He studies the United States and human rights and higher education policy, and he writes regularly for the Chronicle of Higher Education. Katz works on projects in Cuba and in the Persian Gulf. He directs the Center for Arts and Cultural Policy Studies at WWS and is the president emeritus of the American Council of Learned Societies. Katz received the National Humanities Medal of Honor from President Obama in 2011.