Krishnamurti, Values, and Education

Abstract

The chapter provides the context in which J. Krishnamurti and his work may be understood today. Krishnamurti’s relevance in our understanding of the contemporary human condition when humans can no longer be passive observers in a deeply divided and self-destructive world is examined. It is in the everyday that Krishnamurti seeks out change beginning with the individual and her world, both personal and social. This premise foregrounds his emphasis on educational practice as the medium through which social change is possible. At the same time, education is not an objective instrument but a deeply nuanced method for the transformation of consciousness and social change. To develop an understanding of the transformative value of education, it unravels Krishnamurti’s approach through a focus on education and society, the sacred and universal, and agency, values, and an ethical life. There is also an emphasis on caring for emotions and on addressing diversity in educational practice.