11 © Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature 2018 P. Smeyers (ed.), International Handbook of Philosophy of Education, Springer International Handbooks of Education, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-72761-5_2 Introduction: Section 1 – Voices from the Present and the Past Nuraan Davids In our pursuits to fnd and attach meaning to the world around us, philosophers of education often refer to or build on a particular position of a philosopher or philoso- pher of education. As such, we recognise that how we understand a particular encounter or concept is always open to another interpretation and another way of constructing meaning. In opening a platform for the building on past voices, and offering new and re-considered voices, this section consists of 36 original chapters in which the author(s) describe the relevance of the position of the philosopher (of education) to current important questions in the theory or practice of education. To this end, each chapter describes (aspects of) the theory of the philosopher or phi- losopher of education, and relates it to a particular question, problem or theory, so that what is constructed and contributed addresses a particular debate. The vast volume of theorists, theories, dilemmas and controversies addressed in the 36 chap- ters offers some insight into the scope and potential contribution of philosophy in relation to education, and its highly complex contexts and contestations. This section recognises the importance of a philosophical lens when analysing not only educational theory, pedagogy and policy, but is equally concerned with particular ways of being, thinking and acting, which either emanates from or gives shapes to particular constructions of philosophy of education. In this regard, the various chapters refect some of the major philosophies of education – both from the past and the present – with the intention of bringing together a cross section of ideas, debates and renewed considerations. This cross section of ideas is made evi- dent not only in the wide range of philosophers of education, educationists, critical and literary theorists, but also in the wonderfully diverse range of authors, who have N. Davids (*) Department of Education Policy Studies, Faculty of Education, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa e-mail: nur@sun.ac.za