Today (children’s) rights and participation are key issues within educational research. Democratic attitudes and dialogues are expected to solve the problematic power structure that is part of the ‘old fashion’ educational relation where children are dominated and even abused. An even relation is considered to be ideal and respectful; a symmetric relation equal. The question of teacher authority tends to be put aside as something only negative and unwanted. In the light of these discussions Arendt’s idea that in education, authority and responsibility go together risks becoming misread as a request for negative authority. It would, however, be a misunderstanding to believe that authority – in Arendt’s terms - closes the educational situation, limits its relations, and holds back creativity and freedom. On the contrary: Arendt argues that in education responsibility is authority.
In the paper Moira von Wright explores education as “the point at which we decide whether we love the world enough to assume responsibility for it” (Arendt 1954).