ABSTRACT This article revisits the place of theory in social justice praxis. Using Du Bois’ “Immortal Child,” the author argues efforts for social justice in education are greatly aided by dedicating intellectual energies to the theorization of alternative futures. In particular, political theory has a significant place in critical educational praxis, shaping how we answer what is the purpose of education, a critical question of both Du Bois’ time and our own. The article first explores what political theory is and examples of where political theory arises in educational scholarship. This is followed by an analysis of Du Bois’ Immortal Child and its implications for political theory in education. As a result, the author discusses the place of theory in the field of education, advancing that Du Bois reveals the importance of alternative ways to think about temporality and communality. The author distinguishes between instructional social justice and structural social justice, in relation to theory; and the relationships among shared political projects, transdisciplinarity, and praxis for social justice.

中文翻译：

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（重新）想象永生儿童的教育：为什么要在社会正义教育理论？

摘要 本文重新审视了理论在社会正义实践中的地位。作者使用杜波依斯的“不朽的孩子”论证了将智力精力用于替代未来的理论化，极大地有助于教育中的社会正义努力。特别是，政治理论在批判性教育实践中占有重要地位，它塑造了我们如何回答教育的目的是什么，这是杜波依斯时代和我们自己时代的一个关键问题。本文首先探讨了政治理论是什么，以及政治理论在教育学术中出现的地方的例子。接着分析杜波依斯的《不死之子》及其对教育政治理论的启示。因此，作者讨论了理论在教育领域的地位，推进杜波依斯揭示了思考时间性和公共性的替代方法的重要性。作者在理论方面区分了教学社会正义和结构性社会正义；以及共享政治项目、跨学科性和社会正义实践之间的关系。