In this popular text, Joel Spring provocatively analyzes the ideas of traditional and non-traditional philosophers, from Plato to Paulo Freire, regarding the contribution of education to the creation of a democratic society. Each section focuses on an important theme: 'œAutocratic and Democratic Forms of Education;' 'œDissenting Traditions in Education;' 'œThe Politics of Culture;' 'œThe Politics of Gender;' and 'œEducation and Human Rights.' This edition features a special emphasis on human rights education. Spring advocates a legally binding right to an education that includes an education in human rights. His argument is that until schools are required to fulfill a duty to protect human rights and teach others to protect human rights, government-operated schools will remain authoritarian rather than democratic institutions. Wheels in the Head, a critically original work, is widely used as a text for courses across the fields of philosophical, social, political, and historicalfoundations of education, and critical issues in education. Reflecting its global relevance, a Chinese translation was published by the University of Peking Press in 2005.