Our Community

The Philosophy of Education Society of Australasia (PESA) is a learned society, now 50 years old, having been established in 1970, one year after its journal, Educational Philosophy and Theory was first published. PESA is a non-profit incorporated society.

PESA promotes the ideas, research and teaching in the Philosophy of Education, a subject that in the West, originated with the Ancient Greeks. It aims to examine the nature of education – its goals, its pedagogy and methods, its underlying philosophical doctrines and its ideologies and their contemporary expression and forms of political economy.

PESA and has a rich history which extended from its foundations in Australia and New Zealand to being a global community that includes scholars come from around the world. Reflecting this diversity means we value of different approaches to philosophy of education, as practiced in different national and cultural contexts. Our members engage a wide range of ideas, theories, and figures and PESA encourages dialogues that cultivate understanding in  an academic environment of collegial mutual respect, where diverse voices are valued. PESA particularly values the contributions of underrepresented groups, such as indigenous and women scholars, and the importance of meaningfully including students and early career researchers. Nowadays, we encourage Indigenous philosophy and East-West dialogues.