Exploring a New Space for Discussing Justice in Education: From the Emergence of “Dragons” to the Expansion of Recognition

This article is based on two ideas. One is that the current approach to educational justice leaves a vast area of issues in educational justice untouched, since it predominantly focuses on admission results to a few prestigious universities. The other is that the way Korean educational researchers apply Axel Honneth’s recognition theory to the Korean context is somewhat limited, thus missing its richer implications that can be given to Korean education in terms of justice. In this context, this article reveals the limits embedded in the current approach to educational justice, while exploring a new space for discussing justice in education through the lens of recognitive justice. In doing so, this article investigates how the three types of recognition proposed by Honneth − love, right, and social value − can be interpreted in education, and what just education would look like based on this interpretation. In conclusion, this article contends that, beyond making a few more “dragons” out of ditches, it is more important to expand the horizon of recognition while reducing unequal treatments based on academic achievement to help the majority of students develop positive self-relationships.