After the disastrous distortions introduced in late Antiquity, it took twenty-three centuries to put into practice the views that Aristotle (384-322 BC) had developed on education.
The reason for the long interval is not that Aristotle’s ideas on education are difficult to grasp. In fact, it only takes a few hours of study to understand Aristotelian ethics, which regards happiness as the goal of human life and virtue as the path to happiness.
Aristotelian educational ideas emanate from the Aristotelian ethics. If happiness is the goal, and virtue shows the path, then the purpose of education is to teach virtue. Each student should learn ethics and acquire good habits (virtues) that will lead him to happiness.
The reason why the world has taken twenty-three centuries to embrace Aristotelian education is that people did not agree with it. For twenty-three centuries, most educators had rejected the Aristotelian link between happiness, virtue and education.
Pestalozzi and Aristotle’s views on education
I give credit for starting to resurrect Aristotelian educational ideals to Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi (1746-1827). Although he did not come to embrace Aristotle out of intellectual reflection, his practical discoveries opened the door for reintroducing the Aristotelian thinking in education.
Without Pestalozzi’s work, I fear that education would still be following the authoritarian paradigm imposed by medieval monks and later strengthened by Bismarck (1815-1898).
Just as Aristotle’s ideas rely on empiricism, Pestalozzi was a proponent of learning through experience. As a teacher, he had observed that students learn best by doing, and worst through rote memorization.
Pestalozzi outlined his ideas on education in his book “The Evening Hours of a Hermit,” published in 1780. He regarded a practical education as the best method because it helps students integrate conceptual knowledge with hands-on results.
In his work “Metaphysics,” Aristotle had advised to analyse the four causes of entities, namely, the material cause (what are they made of?), formal cause (their shape), efficient cause (the force bringing them in motion) and final cause (their purpose).
Similarly, Pestalozzi was teaching students by involving at the same time their heads, their heart, and their hands.
A better life through Aristotle’s views on education
Aristotle had identified “eudaimonia” (happiness, thriving, flourishing) as the goal of life, and indirectly, as the goal of all educational efforts. His ethical and educational ideas share the principle of achieving happiness through virtue.
The Aristotelian teacher helps students acquire good habits (virtues) leading to happiness. Similarly, Pestalozzi favoured a teaching style that strengthens the natural interests, curiosity, and creativity of students.
Just as Aristotelian education aims at helping pupils acquire virtuous habits, Pestalozzi believed that students should learn (together with academic subjects) how to behave politely and responsibly towards other people.
In his novel “Leonard and Gertrude” (1801), Pestalozzi tells a story that illustrate how education should be. It is the story of an individual who, despite severe adversity, finds his way to a better life thanks to practical education.
The revival of Aristotle’s educational ideas brought forward by Pestalozzi had a significant impact in Switzerland but failed to expand initially into the neighbouring German Empire that was governed by Bismarck.
The opposite to Aristotle’s views on education
While Pestalozzi was starting a beneficial educational trend in Switzerland, other countries would do the opposite. Instead of prioritizing the pupils’ happiness, they adopted a totalitarian paradigm. Instead of promoting curiosity and creativity, their leaders imposed rigidity and intolerance.
Vladimir Lenin (1870-1924) viewed education as a tool for promoting the Communist Revolution and building a socialist society. As a result, he established a system that is the opposite of Aristotle’s views.
Lenin advocated for universal, mandatory education aiming at propagating communism. In contrast to Aristotle’s formula for education (help students acquire virtuous habits), Lenin just wanted to achieve loyalty to communism.
The virtues promoted by Aristotelian education (rationality, courage, self-reliance) are the opposite of those promoted in a communist school (selflessness, conformity, discipline, loyalty to the Communist Party).
The superiority of Aristotle’s views on education
Unsurprisingly, Lenin’s educational ideas led to an outcome (apathy, poverty, decay) that is the opposite of what Aristotle’s educational ideas deliver (innovation, productivity, wealth).
It’s hard to put Aristotelian views on education into practice because one needs to grasp Aristotle’s philosophy as a whole. I cannot imagine that people can forget about “eudaimonia” as a primary goal and simply regurgitate the Aristotelian definition of virtue.
When it comes to education or philosophy, one cannot grasp the parts without understanding the whole. Pestalozzi took the first step towards establishing an educational system that helps students develop their talents, but many other steps are needed.
If you are interested in applying Aristotelian principles to problem solving, I recommend you my book “Rational living, rational working.”
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