Aristotle (384-322 BC) made a large understatement in his work “Politics” by writing that “education is the best provision for old age.” He should have written that “education is the best investment one can make.”
The problem is that most education lacks quality, but should we not say the same about most newspapers, clothing, movies, television shows, books, songs, food, and many other items?
If you apply the Aristotelian theory of virtue and character development, you should do well, but can you ensure a consistent application? How do you turn Aristotelian virtues (temperance, courage, justice) into second nature, so that you make the right choices every time?
At present, there is no educational model fully based on the teachings of Aristotle; once and again, educators have come up with proposals to improve the current system, but their insights failed to meet their promises.
Despite vast investments in new educational methods, I find it hard to believe that classrooms are delivering better results today that fifty years ago.
What are the underlying reasons for this decline? The poor understanding of the Aristotelian theory of virtue and character development, and the failed attempts to replace it with random nonsense.
Logic in Aristotle’s theory of virtue and character development
Aristotelian ethics is based on the principle that humans can think. Of course, when I say “think,” I mean “think logically.” I don’t mean “experience emotions” such as fear, anxiety, stress and confusion. I also don’t mean “making arbitrary decisions.”
The whole Aristotelian philosophy is based on logic. It is all about assessing facts, looking for connexions, and figuring out the objective truth.
Real life imposes heavy penalties on people who choose to ignore the truth. No amount of crying and wailing will be able to hide the dire consequences of mistakes. That’s why Aristotle placed so much emphasis on virtues (good habits).
If you practise virtue (courage, temperance, justice), you’ll make good decisions in most cases. Occasionally, you’ll make some mistakes, but those should be relatively minor.
Key elements in Aristotle’s theory of character development
The acquisition of a good character (a virtuous character) is the key purpose of education. Aristotle wrote in book six of his “Nicomachean Ethics” that “the primary goal of wisdom is to differentiate good from evil.”
In the Aristotelian tradition, character development includes knowledge accumulation (history, literature) and logic training (mathematical, causal, ethical), so that students learn to assess facts and draw correct conclusions.
Unfortunately, today’s education conveys neither sufficient facts nor a strong logic. Students are asked to memorize details without understanding them. They are required to regurgitate answers without grasping their justification. It’s no wonder that such a process will generate graduates that are unable to think.
The problems are well known already for some time. Let us now take a look at two modern attempts to correct them.
Rudolf Steiner and Aristotle’s theory of virtue and character development
Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925) founded a movement named “anthroposophy” to address the deficiencies in the exceedingly rigid Prussian educational tradition.
Steiner was right in criticizing existing educational systems. Their emphasis on memorization and blind conformity stifled the student’s ability to think. When confronted with challenges, students froze and proved unable to draw accurate conclusions.
Unfortunately, instead of giving solutions (e.g., teach more facts and a better logic), Steiner fell into a confused mysticism. He wrote extensively about “a holistic approach” and “spiritual elements” in philosophy and education, but his writings do not make any sense.
In his books “Philosophy of Spiritual Activity” (1894) and “Outline of Occult Sciences” (1913), he advocates for a weird mishmash of mysticism, alternative history, and faith healing. I fail to see how any of those could make students more rational, effective, and self-reliant.
While Aristotle regarded virtue and character development as shortcuts to happiness, it is not clear what Steiner was trying to achieve with his “anthroposophy.” His grandstanding about developing the human soul through a balanced education didn’t deliver the promised benefits.
Prussian education had produced mostly conformists, able to perform routine tasks. Steiner was producing a breed of non-conformists, but would those be able to fill the available jobs? Steiner clearly had good intentions, but to which extent was his “anthroposophy” practical?
Instead of solving the existing issues, Steiner had generated new ones. Instead of bringing facts and logic back, Steiner had replaced them by esoteric teachings. His pursuit of profound creativity and high moral ideals failed to deliver substantial advantages.
Maria Montessori and Aristotle’s theory of virtue and character development
The Italian physician and educator Maria Montessori (1870-1952) came up with solutions far superior to “anthroposophy.” She knew the principles of Aristotle’s logic extremely well and conceived a system for bringing them back into the classroom.
Montessori called for an educational approach allowing the natural development of children. By “natural,” she didn’t mean “random.” She actually meant “logical” in the widest sense.
The goal of Montessori’s methods is to enable self-directed learning through hands-on activities. Her students will learn to identify connections between colours, shapes, figures, sounds and events in the same way that Aristotle’s had taught students to find the material, formal, efficient, and final cause.
Like Aristotle, Montessori regarded character development as crucial. Since she opened her first school in Rome in 1901, her classroom activities aim at developing the students’ sense of self-discipline, perseverance, and responsibility.
In addition to abstract learning (reading, mathematics), she created scripts for practical activities that will require students to work in teams. In this way, students can develop dexterity in practical tasks coupled with social skills (collaboration, good manners, empathy, consideration, etc.).
Aristotle’s theory of virtue and character development in the classroom
Like Aristotle’s ethics, Montessori’s methods rely on human intelligence. Educators should generate environments enabling students to absorb and integrate information.
Knowledge integration (mathematics, reading, history, etc.) is the key to quick learning. Montessori’s method is far better than Prussian rigidity and Steiner’s mysticism because it gives students the two key Aristotelian elements, namely, extensive information and a solid logic.
Montessori’s methods need to be expanded, but possess the immense merit of having brought Aristotle’s philosophy back into the classroom. Despite minor differences with Aristotle’s philosophy of virtue and character development, Montessori’s method has massively improved the results of early education.
If you are interested in applying Aristotelian principles to all sorts of situations, I recommend you my book “Asymmetry: the shortcut to success when success seems impossible.”
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