Richard Smith is Professor of Education at the University of Durham, UK. His most recent publications include the Blackwell Guide to the Philosophy of Education (with Nigel Blake, Paul Smeyers and Paul Standish, joint eds, Blackwell, 2003), The Therapy of Education (with Paul Smeyers and Paul Standish, 2006) and Evidence-based Educational Policy: What Evidence? What Basis? Whose Policy? (with David Bridges and Paul Smeyers, joint eds, Blackwell, 2009). His principal research interests are in the philosophy of education and the philosophy of social science.