Aristotle on Education

Essay # 59309

Education > Theory
Philosophy > Ancient Greek

Paper discusses Aristotle's theory on education and the role that education plays in the production of citizens who support and maintain democracy.

1,247 words () | 3 sources | MLA | 2005

Paper Summary:

The author presents a comprehensive analysis of Aristotle's theory on education, as contained in his "Politics." The author argues that a full reading of Aristotle's "Politics" indicates that, while he perceived of the polis as a natural creation, he maintained that the formulation of the best possible polis required human effort and the diligence of the city's administrators. It shows that Aristotle believes that special attention should be focused upon the education of citizens, inasmuch as it was through education that the city could produce the organisms, so to say, that would keep it healthy and functioning as it should.

From the Paper:

"Education is the cornerstone of any political system, inasmuch as it helps maintain that system by orienting citizens towards its acceptance and support. That is the crux of Aristotle's argument on education, as presented throughout Politics but as especially focused upon in the eighth book. It is also the cornerstone of totalitarian and authoritarian regimes, whose continued hold on power ultimately depends on the continued production of submissive and meek citizens. It is within the context of this understanding and the relationship between Aristotle's views on education and the practices of totalitarian/authoritarian governments that one finds the claim of Aristotle's being a supporter of liberal democracies quite hard to accept. However, this is precisely the claim that Robert Bartlett forwards in "Aristotle's Science of the Best Regime" (152). Nevertheless, a full reading of Aristotle's Politics indicates that while he perceived of the polis as a natural creation, he maintained that the formulation of the best possible polis required human effort and the diligence of the city's administrators, with special attention focused upon the education of citizens inasmuch as it was through education that the city could produce the organisms, so to say, that would keep it healthy and functioning as it should."