Honesty, populism and place: A commentary on <i>Teaching Honesty in a Populist Era</i>

Teaching Honesty in a Populist Era argues for an education that emphasizes pragmatist inquiry and the habit of honesty, noting how such an education promotes a democratic way of life. I examine this argument through Byung-Chul Han’s lens of the ‘erosion of the other’. When viewed through Han’s lens, other-regarding honesty and pragmatist inquiry are difficult to get off the ground as the formation of publics is hindered by the erosion of the other. I conclude that place-based education may be a way of accounting for this to develop an education suited for our current times.