Education, emotion, complexity

An interest in improving education, beginning from a strong questioning of what its object is and continuing with an exploration of the role of emotions throughout life, guides a reflection on the complexity of education. Emotions enable the evaluation of oneself, of others and of reality. As the foundations of our uniqueness, they drive us to action and regulate our adaptation to the environment and are therefore presented as an anthropological feature. Integrating emotions with thought and action guarantees the unity of the individual. Therefore, ignoring the education of emotions (emotional intelligence) tends to reduce the complexity of the subject, of the human collective and of education. Together, these factors have an influence on all dimensions of education, including integrated education, learning and knowledge, participation, and governance in education. The complexity of education requires a thorough and progressive training and the optimistic and affectionate collaboration of all involved parties. © 2013 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.