The Act of Teaching: Reflections on a Basic Human Act

The Act of Teaching answers an important but seldom asked question: What does it mean to teach someone something? Most books that say they are about teaching discuss only the special form of teaching that occurs in a classroom.

This book traces two philosophical traditions from ancient times to the present. One tradition assumes a group of people who are the teachers and others who are the learners. The second tradition recognizes all human beings. and at least some nonhumans, as engaged in teaching and learning. This tradition is more comprehensive in meaning and more practical in application.

The meaning of teaching in this second tradition is showing someone how to do something. Teaching begins with the way a mother cares for a child and speaks to a child. A child learns by responding to its parents and to other people in its environment. Every individual continues throughout life to learn from teachers who are often unaware that they are teaching. Most teaching is communal and nonverbal.

Teaching in the context of a school is not the main topic of this book. Nevertheless, schoolteachers might find many of this book’s examples of teaching-learning to be a valuable source for reflection on their own work.

Author Description:

Gabriel Moran is Professor Emeritus of Educational Philosophy at New York University where he taught for thirty-five years. He is the author of twenty-eight books which cover a wide range of topics in education, religion, ethics and politics. All the books are concerned with finding language that can help conversation about divisive issues. The meaning of teaching has been a central concern of the author for many decades.