Exploring ethics in social education and social pedagogy from Honneth and Butler’s recognition theories

The latest social pedagogy discourses in Spain have highlighted the increasing interest in developing the ethical dimension of its practice. Up to now, this issue has been addressed from a deontological perspective through which codes of ethics have been developed. Nowadays, a new perspective based on developing an ethical perspective focused on practice and relationships is emerging. This article reports on the results of the first stage of a larger study that aims to analyse the ethical dimension of socio-educational relationships. This stage consists of identifying the contributions of different social science authors to the construction of an ethical dimension in the socio-educational relationships. Our purpose is to develop a theoretical model of ethics in social pedagogy and social education that serves to substantiate an ethical practice. We present the contributions of Axel Honneth and Judith Butler and carry out a two-step theoretical analysis, involving an analysis of two original works by each author as well as a systematic review of the applications of the authors’ theories in the field of ethics and education. The main results provide a better understanding of how the theory of recognition, from the perspectives of both authors, is useful for the development of an ethical dimension of social pedagogy. To do so, it is necessary to analyse other related concepts, such as social freedom, invisibility, democratic ethical life, vulnerability, performativity, reflection, political resistance and responsibility, and how these are being applied in the social field. From this starting point, key socio-educational principles can be established in order to guide professional practice and socio-educational relationships.