The Negativity of the Child. Articulating the Existential Foundations of Inclusive Pedagogy

This article examines inclusive pedagogy in the context of contemporary debates about what is specifically 'educational' in education studies. The argument is made in two stages. First, it traces the evolution of inclusion from a sociological to a pedagogical concept, and its subsequent shift from individual concerns to broader questions of social justice. This evolution differentiates inclusion from integration and highlights challenges in addressing social inequalities while maintaining a focus on the unique individual. Second, the article posits that an existential approach in educational theory may enable us to ask educational questions about inclusive education. In particular, Jean-Paul Sartre's view of the self is introduced, insofar as it underpins inclusive pedagogy's emphasis on the non-comparable, irreplaceable individual and allows us to address her/him as a subject. This understanding of the individual as a subject supports inclusive education’s rejection of both intra- and inter-individual differentiation, and advocates instead for empowering children to transcend facticities—barriers and adversities—through imaginative projection into their future. On the basis of this existential approach, the article argues that, when focusing predominantly on categories of needs to be addressed (and, thus, by 'categorizing' children according to these needs), we risk missing the specifically pedagogical dimension of these needs. Instead, inclusive pedagogy must view each child as a subject striving to overcome their unique challenges, emphasizing individuality and freedom, without disregarding structural inequalities. This approach aligns with a rejection of external forces—economic, political, or psychological—that threaten pedagogical autonomy and redefine education's purpose. Critics of inclusive pedagogy highlight the risks of overemphasizing individual autonomy, which potentially leads to neglect of systemic barriers faced by marginalized groups. This article contends, however, that an existential approach reconciles these tensions by acknowledging differences in facticities while maintaining a focus on individual self-actualization. Inclusive pedagogy thus envisions children not as defined by their limitations but as beings capable of becoming 'what they are not', in Sartre’s parlance. This perspective safeguards the core pedagogical principles, framing education as a process that nurtures freedom, responsibility, and imagination, affirming its role as a distinct and autonomous practice.