Harry Brighouse provides a new theory of justice for education, arguing that justice requires that all children have a real opportunity to become autonomous persons, and that the state use a criterion of educational equality for deploying educational resources. Through systematic presentation

of empirical evidence, Brighouse argues that existing schemes do not fare well against the criterion of social justice, yet this need not impugn school choice. He offers a school choice proposal that could implement social justice and explains why other essential educational reforms can be

compatible with choice.

"In an era when policy analysis is often fixated on empirical 'hard data' and evaluated in terms of cost-benefit payoffs, it is refreshing to read a book that tries to examine policy choices in terms of ideas and values... detailed, open-minded, and nondogmatic...[Brighouse] provides an excellent

review of existing choice programs in Britain and the US and evaluates specific alternative proposals...[his] book is immensely useful in clarifying the value bases of public policy in education and will force readers to examine and ultimately refine their own assumptions about school

choice."--Choice

School choice, the leading educational reform proposal in the English-speaking world today, evokes extreme responses. Its defenders present it as a savior; its opponents as the deathnell of a fair educational system. Disagreement and vagueness about what constitutes social justice in education muddies the debate. The author provides a new theory of justice for education, arguing that justice requires that all children have a real opportunity to become autonomous persons, and that the state use a criterion of educational equality for deploying educational resources. Through systematic presentation of empirical evidence, the author argues that existing schemes do not fare well against the criterion of social justice, yet this need not impugn school choice. Brighouse offers a school choice proposal that could implement social justice and explains why other essential educational reforms can be compatible with choice.

Includes bibliographical references (p. [211]-217) and index.

Harry Brighouse is Associate Professor of Philosophy, Madison.

1. Liberal Theory and Educational Policy.

2. The Case for Choice

3. Three Red Herrings

4. The Case for Autonomy-Facilitating Education

5. Objections to Autonomy-Facilitating Education

6. The Case for Educational Equality

7. Objections to Educational Equality

8. Social Justice and Actually-Existing School Choice

9. School Choice For Social Justice?