Anton Chekhov and the Catastrophes of Teaching.
Saved in:
| Title: | Anton Chekhov and the Catastrophes of Teaching. |
|---|---|
| Authors: | Collin, Ross (AUTHOR) |
| Source: | Educational Theory. Jun2025, Vol. 75 Issue 3, p514-530. 17p. |
| Subjects: | Ethics, Teachers, Chekhov, Anton Pavlovich, 1860-1904, Moral development, Dramatists, Ethical problems, Short story writing, Teacher education |
| Abstract: | In this essay, Ross Collin offers ethics‐focused readings of Anton Chekhov's popular short stories "The Schoolmistress" and "The Teacher of Literature." Chekhov shows in the two stories how teaching can inhibit teachers' flourishing. That is to say, teaching under bad conditions can draw teachers into moral "catastrophe," to use Cornel West's term for an idea central to Chekhov's work. In "The Schoolmistress" and "The Teacher of Literature," Chekhov compares the catastrophes of teachers' lives to the catastrophes of the lives of nonhuman animals trapped in an eternal present of toil or display. Confined in lives they do not control, the teachers in Chekhov's two stories cannot link their pasts, presents, and futures into narratives they might live out and steer in different directions. Here, Collin shows how works of art can attend to particularities of moral experience, including teachers' moral experience, that are difficult to recognize and address productively using general concepts in philosophy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of Educational Theory is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection |
|
Full text is not displayed to guests.
Login for full access.
|
|
| Abstract: | In this essay, Ross Collin offers ethics‐focused readings of Anton Chekhov's popular short stories "The Schoolmistress" and "The Teacher of Literature." Chekhov shows in the two stories how teaching can inhibit teachers' flourishing. That is to say, teaching under bad conditions can draw teachers into moral "catastrophe," to use Cornel West's term for an idea central to Chekhov's work. In "The Schoolmistress" and "The Teacher of Literature," Chekhov compares the catastrophes of teachers' lives to the catastrophes of the lives of nonhuman animals trapped in an eternal present of toil or display. Confined in lives they do not control, the teachers in Chekhov's two stories cannot link their pasts, presents, and futures into narratives they might live out and steer in different directions. Here, Collin shows how works of art can attend to particularities of moral experience, including teachers' moral experience, that are difficult to recognize and address productively using general concepts in philosophy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 00132004 |
| DOI: | 10.1111/edth.70002 |
