Philosophy of Education
Education shapes a person’s whole life, and a nation’s future. Parents and teachers educate every day, yet they are constantly caught in dilemmas: strict or relaxed? Rules or freedom? Grades or interests? Parenting theories multiply and contradict one another, leaving people unsure where to turn.
This series thinks about education from the standpoint of philosophy. The essence of education is to help a natural being grow into a spiritual one, to lead the child from dependence to independence, from being guided to guiding oneself. For Hegel, education is Bildung, a formation of the self: by overcoming mere naturalness, the individual makes the achievements of the human spirit into his or her own character and ability. Discipline and freedom, authority and respect, protecting and letting go are therefore not either-or choices, but moments that pass into one another at different stages of growth.
We will discuss the relation between education at home and at school, the role and limits of parents, interest and effort, the cultivation of character and ability, how to respond to a child’s mistakes and setbacks, and how to hold on to the fundamental purpose of education in a fiercely competitive age. Only by understanding what education is can we judge clearly among the many methods on offer.