What is taking yourself seriously? And why should you? In Stanley Cavell and Education, Adrian Skilbeck boldly poses this question through the concept of education. It is well known that throughout his work Cavell defined philosophy as education. This exciting book illuminates and develops this claim, offering a new view of the mutuality of seriousness and subjectivity, and ultimately finding an unknown intimacy between philosophy and education through the study of voice, expression, and drama.

Sandra Laugier, Professor of Philosophy, University of Paris, France

This book powerfully examines the relationship between seriousness and play in the classroom – grounded in the philosophical dimensions of gesture and expression – and makes a compelling case for addressing the suppression of personal voice in today's educational landscape.

Piergiorgio Donatelli, Professor of Moral Philosophy, University of Rome, Italy