Civility – a discourse absent from pedagogy. An attempt at (re)constructing the concept

Abstract

This text is an attempt at analysing civility, an undertaking practically absent from the contemporary pedagogical discourse though amply discussed within the humanities. The (re)construction of this concept aims to restore the importance of civility as a form of civilised life and to advocate for the need to acquire this quality through education. To this end, I review the history of the concept of civility (as a part of the civilising process) and then establish its relation to social mores and morality. Finally, I propose a contemporary understanding of civility within the public and private sphere and in its interpersonal and social roles and how these relate to each other. I assume that a reconstruction of the concept, including a portrayal of civility as a useful good and simultaneously a manifestation of human morality or the human condition in general, warrants the placement of civility among the internal goods of education.