In this contribution to current debates about the teaching of literacy and the reform of education, Christopher Winch attacks the present dichotomy in theories of educational achievement between biological inheritance and environmental influence. He draws on philosophy to take a critical, detailed look at the concerns of contemporary education and to explore the ways in which differences in educational achievement are interpreted. He shows the limitations of IQ theory and the verbal deficit theories, associated with Basil Bernstein, and concludes by suggesting that we need to rethink the traditional distinction between theoretical and practical reason if we are to achieve the goals of mass education within the constraints of a democratic political system. This book should be of interest to researchers in linguistics and psychology of education.