Chapter 3. Education without a face in the age of existential deficit: how globalization, post-truth, and the politics of meaninglessness dehumanize pedagogy

Authors

Kharkiv National University of Radio Electronics, Ukraine
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6002-7983
Kharkiv National University of Radio Electronics, Ukraine
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8865-0838
Kharkiv National University of Radio Electronics, Ukraine
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3398-2982
Kharkiv National University of Radio Electronics, Ukraine
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6331-1322
Kharkiv National University of Radio Electronics, Ukraine
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6830-2513
Kharkiv National University of Radio Electronics, Ukraine
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1095-5244

Keywords:

culture of dignity, education, pedagogy of dignity, existential deficit, post-truth, globalisation, loss of meaning, humanity, subjectivity, ethical presence, trauma of non-recognition, neuropsychology of education, empathy

Synopsis

This chapter investigates the existential crisis of contemporary education, emphasizing how globalization, the culture of post-truth, and technocratic discourse contribute to the erosion of human dignity and subjectivity in pedagogy. Despite declarations of placing "the human at the center", education increasingly reduces the learner to a set of functions, competencies, or indicators, resulting in alienation and loss of authentic presence. Drawing on philosophical perspectives from Byung-Chul Han, Martha Nussbaum, Levinas, Foucault, Ricoeur, Buber, and others, the text critically analyzes how managerial language, global rankings, and efficiency-driven reforms depersonalize both teachers and students. The chapter introduces the concepts of "trauma of misrecognition" and "pedagogy of disconnection", highlighting the psychological and ethical consequences of systemic neglect of the individual. As a response, it proposes a linguistic and ethical reconstruction of pedagogy through a "culture of dignity", where words regain their humanizing power, and education is redefined as a space of recognition, presence, and dialogical trust. Ultimately, the chapter argues that restoring language, dignity, and listening as central elements of education is essential for countering existential fragmentation and reclaiming the face of pedagogy.

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September 29, 2025

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How to Cite

Korobkina, T., Dashenkova, N., Myttseva, O., Horiachkovska, H., Bakalenko, O., & Omelchenko, V. (2025). Chapter 3. Education without a face in the age of existential deficit: how globalization, post-truth, and the politics of meaninglessness dehumanize pedagogy. In O. Chaika (Ed.), EDUCATIONAL POLICY AND REFORMS: THE IMPACT OF GLOBALIZATION. Kharkiv: TECHNOLOGY CENTER PC. https://doi.org/10.15587/978-617-8360-20-7.ch3