Este artículo desarrolla una concepción composicionista de la paideia como proceso material de formación de la subjetividad. Frente a las concepciones clásicas y contemporáneas, que oscilan entre la trascendencia normativa y el relativismo formativo, se propone entender la formación como reconstrucción operatoria de estructuras reales en condiciones históricas determinadas. La paideia se redefine como producción de subjetividades capaces de sostener verdad, consistencia y ruptura de la caverna. El análisis integra dimensiones ontológicas, gnoseológicas, técnicas y políticas, mostrando que la (...) formación no es un ámbito separado, sino un eje estructural del mundo común. (shrink)

This paper argues that the modern curriculum of academic subject disciplines embodies a rationalist conception of pure, universal knowledge that does little to cultivate, humanise or form the self. A liberal education in the classical humanist tradition, by contrast, develops a personal culture or paideia, an understanding of the self as a social, political and cultural being, and the practical wisdom needed to make judgements in practical, political and human affairs. The paper concludes by asking whether the old liberal (...) curriculum, traditionally centred on the humanities and the disciplines of grammar and rhetoric, can be recovered in the modern age. (shrink)

The movement from Greek paideia to Roman humanitas gives a clue into how the ancients conceived of the goals of the state and the means adopted to prepare citizens for the attainment of such goals. In these two ancient educational practices, evidences of how they conceived of the challenges of their time were found, as the formative ideals proposed to prepare citizens for the challenges and their ambiental peculiarities. The process, understanding and intricacies of this movement cannot but strike (...) the curiosity of the modern African, whose educational ideals were laid on them, but whose practice of education is progressively moving away from them. Hence, the contemporary society needs to learn from the practice of ancient formation, which will create a bridge that happily adopts ancient values that can be of great assistance and serve as a template for authentic cultural development in Africa. (shrink)

Paideia is a word that signifies education or culture—two concepts that are only apparently distinct in Ancient Greek thinking. The performance of poetry, philosophy, rhetoric, drama, dance, and even athletics functioned simultaneously as education and culture. They entertained and unified communities by affirming shared heritage and interrogating common values. This process had special importance in Sicily and Southern Italy, where Hellenism was often a matter of education rather than ancestry. This volume explores the intersection of education and cultural performance (...) in a variety of disciplines and from a variety of perspectives. Authors discussed include Sappho, Empedocles, Gorgias, Plato, and Aristotle. Contexts range from choral dance, to epideictic oratory, theatrical performance, philosophical dialogue, and gymnastic exercise. Taken together, these diverse essays reveal a cultural paideia aimed at realizing an ideal of human potential—not least by questioning human reality. Edited by Henry C. Curcio, Mark Ralkowski, and Heather L. Reid, the volume includes essays by Audrey L. Anton & Erika N. Brown, Paloma Flávio Betini, Michał Bizoń, L.M.J. Coulson, Mateo Duque, Jurgen R. Gatt & Andrew Debono Cauchi, Michael Goyette, Veronika Konrádová, Georgios Mouratidis & Heather L. Reid, Kristian Sheeley, and Colin C. Smith. (shrink)

Este artigo visa algumas considerações sobre a Paideia para evidenciar, dar suporte e organização à sua presença viva na educação. Ele faz uma abordagem teórica da trajetória da vida educativa e suas oportunidades, que além de buscar conhecer e entender o desenvolvimento integral da pessoa humana no campo educacional, encontre e resgate a construção de um pensamento que sustente a ideia de uma “pedagogia humanista franciscana” não so- mente na vida prática, mas também no trabalho sistematizá-la e ou recriá-la (...) em produções escritas. Esse processo deve buscar o entendimento do papel da – pandeia na formação integral do homem – para ampliar e contribuir com a pedagogia franciscana em sua capacidade de ir além dos aspectos curriculares para atingir seu ideal da educação integral e humanista. Necessário é que tal pedagogia estabeleça relações capazes de englobar o desenvolvimento de todas as dimensões do ser humano, sejam elas físicas, motoras, estéticas, intelectuais, espirituais, afetivas, po- líticas, econômicas e sociais. O ser humano que surge de dentro da formação baseada na educação franciscana deve ser corajoso para assumir o risco e a criatividade e, em momento algum, deixar de ser cavalheiro a de buscar e a criação do belo, do grandioso e do amor. A pedagogia franciscana fruto de uma “Visão franciscana da vida e do mundo entende a educação como transformadora de um ser humano justo, ético e conciliador das relações buscan- do o desenvolvimento integral deste, em todas as perspectivas do campo educacional. (shrink)

Can human rights in education enhance students and teachers capacity to reimagine their local community and to rethink the rules and laws that support such a social community? This paper is a political philosophical inquiry into human rights in education, drawing on the work of Hannah Arendt, Cornelius Castoriadis and Adriana Cavarero. By placing learning at the center of political philosophy through the notion of paideia, we need to ask how such an education can look like. According to Castoriadis, (...) society exists only insofar as it is embodied in its social individuals. Society and its individuals are in a constant process of becoming toward relational autonomy that implies a moral self-limitation. At the core of my philosophical inquiry into moral subjectification is the need to re-think human rights and the pedagogical subject in relational terms that imply self-limitation and political engagement in a wider cosmopolitan community. (shrink)

Este artigo busca encontrar na teoria crítica da racionalidade moderna de Jürgen Habermas (1929-) elementos de uma paideia. O primeiro tópico lança o substrato epistemológico sobre a existência das racionalidades estratégica e comunicativa. O segundo, afirma que o desengate entre o sistema e o mundo da vida, e a colonização deste por aquele, causam as patologias modernas e colaboram para a formulação de pedagogias coordenadas pela ação estratégica. O terceiro, propõe que o reacoplamento do sistema ao mundo vivido proporciona (...) que todas as dimensões da existência humana sejam orientadas pela ação comunicativa, na qual se encontram os traços de uma paideia emancipadora e revolucionária. (shrink)

Platonic paideia is a mainstream concept in traditional philosophy and humanistic circles generally. It is closely connected with social progress brought about by the dynamics of enlightenment and self-fulfillment, symbolized by the allegory of the cave. The main contention of this paper is that the philosophical grammar of this simile is more precarious than is often recognized. Plato’s apparently intuitive narrative blends together two features that do not easily mix, namely explicit, categorical dualisms, and temporal processes of development. The (...) second feature is superimposed upon the first, more elementary, one, suggesting that a philosopher-teacher can be in charge of mankind’s ascent towards illustrious goals. This line of thought conceals a basic rhetorical move built into Plato’s paideia, namely its initial focus on enchained humans in need of liberation. It is from this bleak view of ordinary, ‘commonsense’ life that the narrative’s drive is derived. How might... (shrink)

O presente trabalho tem como objetivo apresentar dois distintos projetos formativos: a paideia grega e a Bildung do esclarecimento alemão representada por Kant e Hegel, bem como o desenvolvimento desta última em Halbbildung no século XX. Para compreender os sentidos e contornos históricos em que essas formulações estavam postas, tornou-se necessário inseri-las no contexto mais geral das formações sociais em que elas estavam inseridas, revelando suas contradições.

Constitutional paideia designates a form of constitutionalism that construes a nation’s constitution essentially in terms of ongoing processes of collective self-formation. This paper explores the notion of constitutional paideia as formulated by Hegel, who explicitly defines constitutionalism with categories of Bildung. The paper’s strategy is to present Hegel’ position in light of questions that can be raised about it. The paper advances three central theses: in spite of his historico-culturist approach to law, Hegel is a theoretician of constitutional (...) paideia; despite construing constitutionalism in terms of ongoing processes of popular self-interpretation, Hegel does not vitiate the distinction between law and politics deemed so central to constitutional theory; and despite construing constitutionalism in terms of self-formative processes of a particular culture, Hegel does not jettison the normativity and trans-contextualism long associated with modern constitutional theory. The paper concludes with some observations on the contemporary significance of Hegelian constitutionalism. (shrink)

A paideia grega exigia, no homem perfeito, a kalokagathía (beleza física e beleza moral) e a areté que consistia no conjunto harmónico da primeira, mais o êxito. Em Creta, a civilização mais antiga da Grécia e o primeiro e mais brilhante exemplo de civilização europeia, foi descoberta por A. Evans (1900) e decifrada por Michael Ventris (1952) a escrita do Minóico Linear B. A escrita é a alma duma civilização, como a cultura é a mola propulsora da mesma. A (...) civilização cretense revela-nos, entre muitas outras coisas, uma autêntica ginecocracia ou predomínio feminino. Em Esparta, essa emancipação vai quase ao extremo da masculinização da mulher. Esta, em Atenas, vivia quase reclusa. Estava-lhe vedado sair à rua; frequentemente, eram os maridos que iam fazer compras. A educação da criança estava, em Atenas, a cargo dos pais; em Esparta, ao cuidado do Estado. E assim a consagrou Platão para as classes superiores e médias. Os estados gregos, mesmo os mais democráticos, eram tão ciosos da sua hegemonia, que se não fosse a paideia ou cultura a aglutiná-los, ter-se-iam desmoronado por fragmentação e rivalidade! /// La paideia grecque exigeait chez l'homme parfait la kalokagathia (beauté physique et beauté morale) et l'areté qui consistait en un ensemble harmonieux de la première, avec un plus de succès. En Crète, la civilisation la plus ancienne de la grèce et le premier et plus brillant exemple de civilisation européenne fut découverte par A. Evans (1900) et déciffrée par Michael Ventris (1952), l'écriture du Minoen Linéaire B. L'écriture est l'âme d'une civilisation, tout comme la culture en est le ressort propulseur. La civilisation crétoise nous révèle, parmi beaucoup d'autres choses, une authentique "gynécocratie" ou prédominance féminine. À Sparte, cette émancipation va jusqu'au bout de la masculinisation de la femme. Tendis qu'à Athènes, la femme vivait presque recluse. Il lui était défendu de sortir en rue et fréquemment c'étaient les maris qui allaient faire les courses. À Athènes, l'éducation de l'enfant était à charge des parents; à Sparte, elle était confiée à l'État; et c'est ainsi également que Platon l'a consacrée pour les classes supérieures et moyennes des citoyens. Les états grecs, même les plus démocratiques, étaient si avares de leur hégénomie que s'il n'y avait pas en la paideia ou culture pour les rassembler, ils se seraient écroulés par suite de leurs divisions et rivalités. /// Greek paideia demands in the perfect man kalokagathia (physical and moral beauty) and areté, which consists of harmony of the first, in addition to success. In Crete the most ancient civilization of Greece as well as the first brilliant example of European civilization the script of Minoico Linear B. Was discovered by A. Evans (1900) and deciphered by Michael Ventris (1952). Writing is the soul of a civilization, just as culture is its springboard. The civilization of Crete reveals an authentic gynocracy. In Sparta, this emancipation goes to the extent of masculinization of women, while — in Athens — they lived reclusively. It was forbidden to go out; frequently men did the shopping. In Athens the education of the children was the responsability of the parents, whereas in Sparta it was that of the State. Plato dedicated himself to the education of the upper and middle classes. The Greek States, even the democratic ones, were so concerned with their hegemony that, if were not for paideia as culture to keep them together, they ran the risk of breaking apart throught their intense rivalry. (shrink)

" The final volume of Werner Jaeger's three-volume Paideia begins at the same point as its predecessor--the fall of the Periclean empire--but pursues a different line of intellectual development.

The question of Paideia analysed in Jaeger’s pioneering study may be linked to Husserl’s question of the formation of the monadic self, intersubjectivity and the foundation of the community of human beings. Husserl’s phenomenological education manifests itself in the formation of an ego and a phenomenological community. In addition, Fink, having close intellectual links with Husserl, undertakes an in-depth analysis of the question of educa­tion as a sublime model of the Greek city. In this paper we propose a comparative (...) analysis about Paideia between Husserl’s late writings since his Cartesian Meditations, and Fink’s relevant works. (shrink)

Werner Jaeger's classic three-volume work, originally published in 1939, is now available in paperback. Paideia, the shaping of Greek character through a union of civilization, tradition, literature, and philosophy is the basis for Jaeger's evaluation of Hellenic culture.Volume I describes the foundation, growth, and crisis of Greek culture during the archaic and classical epochs, ending with the collapse of the Athenian empire. The second and third volumes of the work deal with the intellectual history of ancient Greece in the (...) Age of Plato, the 4th century B.C.--the age in which Greece lost everything that is valued in this world--state, power, liberty--but still clung to the concept of paideia. As its last great poet, Menander summarized the primary role of this ideal in Greek culture when he said: "The possession which no one can take away from man is paideia.". (shrink)

The term paideia drawn from ancient Greek Philosophy. Paideia is a general term, which is connected with ethic, rhetoric, mathematics, grammar, physics, even astronomy, etc. Paideia is the necessary precondition for effective democracy. In this paper we discuss about paideia as a special element for the establishment of democracy. We will try to speak especially about sophists, the traveling professional teachers, and the connection existed between them and democracy. Democratic institution had created a demand for an (...) education that would prepare men for public life. We should ask what kind of education is necessary for city and citizens. This new kind of education was promoted by the sophists, who taught techniques for the public speaking and analyzed various subjects for social life. Democratic order relies on the dynamic reconciliation of man’s particularity and autonomy with the requirements of communal life. This is a result of new paideia. We also need to ask, according to the fragments of the sophists, if all the Sophists believe in democracy, and why sophists choose Athens to develop their political ideas and practices. What was the role of Athens to their teachings? Which is the consequence of their teaching to Athenian Democracy? A detailed and a comprehensive study of their ideas is essential to display their intellectual developments. (shrink)

Este texto busca apresentar os laços acadêmicos, científicos, políticos, afetivos do Grupo de Estudos e Pesquisas PAIDEIA/FE/UNICAMP no Curso de Graduação em Filosofia e no Programa de Pós-graduação Mestrado Profissional em Educação, da Universidade Estadual do Norte do Paraná (UENP), na tríade ensino, pesquisa e extensão. Com isso, o texto busca apresentar a importância do PAIDEIA, especificamente do Prof. Sílvio Gamboa sobre a pesquisa em educação, na perspectiva do referencial teórico-metodológico materialista histórico, que tem propiciado aos pesquisadores, estudantes (...) de graduação e pós-graduação, impactos na sua visão de mundo, nos seus métodos de pesquisa, nas suas práxis política. (shrink)

Werner Jaeger's highly-acclaimed work treats paideia, the shaping of Greek character, as the basis for study of Hellenism as a whole, to explain the interaction between the historical process by which Greek character was formed and the intellectual process by which they constructed their ideal of the human personality.

Werner Jaeger's classic three-volume work, originally published in 1939, is now available in paperback. Paideia, the shaping of Greek character through a union of civilization, tradition, literature, and philosophy is the basis for Jaeger's evaluation of Hellenic culture.Volume I describes the foundation, growth, and crisis of Greek culture during the archaic and classical epochs, ending with the collapse of the Athenian empire. The second and third volumes of the work deal with the intellectual history of ancient Greece in the (...) Age of Plato, the 4th century B.C.--the age in which Greece lost everything that is valued in this world--state, power, liberty--but still clung to the concept of paideia. As its last great poet, Menander summarized the primary role of this ideal in Greek culture when he said: "The possession which no one can take away from man is paideia.". (shrink)

O presente trabalho tem como objetivo examinar o sentido de physis na discussão educacional das obras platônicas, contrapondo-a com o conceito de paideia. Um primeiro momento nessa discussão ocorre no Protágoras, quando o sofista epônimo propõe que todos os homens, por sua própria natureza, partilham da virtude política, afirmando, porém, que essa virtude é ensinável. Essas duas propostas aparentemente conflitantes são conciliadas na República, em que Sócrates determina a physis e a paideia como duas condições para ser integrado (...) à cidade completamente justa. Palavras-chave: filosofia grega; Platão; physis; paideia. (shrink)

A reflexão sobre a educação franciscana emerge da compreensão do humano, em todas as suas dimensões, tendo como base o modelo grego de formação marcado pelos termos Paideia e Arete. Por estes, consolida-se um olhar educacional de cunho humanista, em que imperam a busca de desenvolver virtudes e não somente oferecer uma formação puramente cognitiva e conceitual. A Paideia franciscana surge como resposta às necessidades deste tempo, visto que a tarefa da escola é formar o humano para o (...) ser e o atuar pessoal e socialmente neste mundo. Desenvolver Princípios e Valores Franciscanos para que surjam atitudes positivas e transformadoras. Para tanto, há que se buscar no exemplo e legado deixado por Francisco de Assis, pistas para a relação fraternal entre professor e estudante, de modo a concretizar um caminho pautado pelo diálogo respeitoso, pela mútua aprendizagem, pela valorização do diferente, ao mesmo tempo em que se projeta a autonomia e o protagonismo do estudante. (shrink)

Estuda as origens do pensamento filosófico ocidental sobre Educação, a partir da sociedade grega antiga, de base escravocrata. Destaca as diferentes etapas de formação da concepção grega de Educação ou Paideia e discute seus significados e desdobramentos. Aponta a Paideia como um ideal de educação plena, educar para a vida, como processo de formação humana. Estuda topicamente as etapas da organização da educação e da escola no Brasil. Analisa as políticas sociais e educacionais e explicita as características autoritárias (...) e excludentes da sociedade e, por conseguinte, da escola no Brasil. Afirma suas características adultocêntricas e impositivas e aponta ser necessária uma superação das marcas e dos determinantes de natureza social e política para a construção ou para a emergência de práticas de reconhecimento da Criança e da Infância no Brasil. A prática pedagógica de acolhimento da Criança na escola necessita de superações de natureza filosófica e política dos estigmas das formações pedagógicas dominantes. (shrink)

The Athenian sophist Philostratus completed a romanticised biography of Apollonius of Tyana in the second or third decade of the third century A.D. One of the most striking aspects of the presentation of this firstcentury Pythagorean sage and miracleworker in the Vita Apollonii (VA) is his role as 'politically active philosopher'. Not only does the protagonist of the VA regularly intervene in situa-tions of conflict in Greek cities and instruct their citi-zens on how they ought to live together, but he (...) also appears in contact with Parthian and Indian kings and Roman emperors. The present study deals with this promi-nent facet of Philostratus' portrait of the Tyanean sage. There are three main issues. The first is the question of the extent to which the Apollonius tradition provided support for the image of the contacts of the protagonist of the VA with cities and monarchs. The second is consideration of how the author dealt with and elaborated these elements in his source material. The third is the question of to what extent the protagonist of the VA may be regarded as a spokesman for the explicit political views of Philostratus. In other words, the aim is to analyse the image of the protagonist of the VA as a 'politically active philosopher' as the result of the interaction between the traditions associated with a sage and miracleworker who was regarded as a representative of Pythagorean wisdom, on the one hand, and the paideia, cultural baggage and mentality of a sophist, on the other. (shrink)

Apresenta os fundamentos históricos e institucionais da Educação grega clássica e da proposta de educação originada na Paideia Cristã. Aponta aspectos da formação do Cristianismo a partir da missionarização de Paulo e de suas Cartas, destinadas às comunidades cristãs emergentes, distantes de Jerusalém, núcleo originário do Cristianismo. Destaca o papel das Cartas Paulinas na constituição das comunidades cristãs primordiais. Apresenta as atuais definições de Educação à Distância e de Cibercultura, analisando aspectos da dinâmica atual de apresentação de percursos formativos (...) à Distância e de suas potencialidades e desafios. Aponta para a defesa da Educação à Distância como dispositivo plenamente potencial de formação acadêmica, cultural e educacional, tal como se deu na Paideia Cristã. (shrink)

We argue that there are three basic views of paideia in ancient Greece. After briefly discussing them, we turn our attention to the contemporary situation. We try to show that the dialogical or Socratic view of paideia can contribute toward a deeper understanding of the contemporary problem of multiculturalism.

Two opposite tendencies characterize the intellectual and political developments in our world as a whole at the end of the twentieth century: on the one hand, we promote respect for human rights, i.e., for certain “universal” norms; on the other, we promote equal respect for all cultures, i.e., respect also for sets of parochial, “relative” norms, which are not only often discrepant among themselves, but often discrepant vis-à-vis human rights as well. In light of this, I argue that we need (...) paideia for a sagacious implementation of human rights in the twenty-first century. (shrink)

El presente artículo busca dar razón de la categoría paideia como estructura fundamental del quehacer teológico de Gregorio de Nisa. En función de este propósito se hace un acercamiento a la noción de paideia propia de los griegos y, posteriormente se señala la manera como el Niseno apropió dicha categoría configurando la paideia cristiana, apelando a ejemplos de su obra De Vita Moysis. This article seeks to give reason for the category paideia as a fundamental structure (...) of the theological enterprise of Gregory of Nyssa. According to this purpose is made an approach to the concept of paideia own of the Greeks and subsequently notes how the bishop of Nyssa appropriated that category by configuring the Christian paideia, appealing to examples of his work De Vita Moysis. (shrink)

Jaeger's proposal in his 1933 work, Paideia, that classical Greece should be viewed as the origin and the sustaining source of Westem civilization is likely to be viewed today as, at best, quaint or, at worst, pemicious. But I argue that Jaeger's conception of paideia as acculturation or as the formation of character through culture is superior to current views of human development and education. At the same time, Jaeger accounts for the profundity of the classical Greek conception (...) of education or acculturation by appealing to a relatively late Platonic notion of a universal standard or rational principle. I attempt to show that this late philosophical determination of paideia distorts an older Greek view of human culture, a view that might offer a model for a universalism that need not appeal to the idea of a self-grounding rational principle. (shrink)

Some of the notorious interpretive puzzles of the Phaedrus arise from reading it in terms of a static version of mimesis; hence, the concerns about its apparent failure to enact its own norms and the status of its own self-commentaries. However, if the dialogue is read in the light of the more dynamic model of a perfectionist paideia — that is, Plato’s portrayal of Socrates as attempting to woo Phaedrus to philosophy is itself a rhetorical attempt to woo the (...) appropriate reader — then many of the puzzles fall into place as part of the rhetorical strategy. The apparent lack of formal unity arises out of Phaedrus’ own deficiencies; the written dialogue turns out precisely not to fall foul of the criticisms of writing that it contains, and its self-commentaries can be given their appropriate ironic weight. On this reading, a Platonic conception of philosophy that embodies yet transcends the dialectical is given persuasive expression. (shrink)

Good judgment (euboulia) was the principal reward Protagoras promised from his teaching, and he was the foremost teacher to whom students went for paideia in fifth-century Greece. I begin with a theoretical exposition of the nature of good judgment in the contexts relevant to fifth-century paideia—in deliberative bodies, in the law courts, among generals discussing tactics, and among private citizens managing their households. I then turn to review what teachers like Protagoras taught, and ask whether it is reasonable (...) to expect such teaching to foster good judgment. I will show that it meets the problem of relevance by attempting to bring every possible factor into an adversarial discussion before a matter is put to judgment. (shrink)

There are three approaches to the Kuhn-Polanyi relationship: their ideas are the same, can be reconciled, or profoundly diverge. This article seeks to show that both share a tradition of paideia. Kuhn espouses scientific revolutions while Polanyi stresses reform and continuity within a Platonic worldview.

The considerations presented in the paper concentrate on two notions from the ancient Greek philosophy: thymos and paideia which, even at present, turn out to be very influential. We live in an overtechnicised society which, for human sake, has developed the most complicated of technologies. It cannot be thus surprising that those achievements have exerted a deep influence on the lives of people. Man has "really” become, or is becoming, the master of nature. In the attitude to benefits there (...) disappears the usefulness of the theoretical knowledge resulting from self-evaluation, from reflection on oneself and on the spiritual reasons for action. Such a way of thinking does not belong to the usefully needed sphere. What is forgotten are such important matters as the mutual “enrichment” of one culture through another. We do not remember about the distinguished personages of this or that culture or a historical period. This problem has been in the philosophical-politological work of Francis Fukayama in the essays "The End of History?" and the "Last Man" in which, among others, he introduces the notion of "recognition” derived from Plato’s thymos in which he grasped its ethical dimension and which he accepted in its primary meaning, i.e. "valor”, “vitality” or in J. J. Rousseau’s sense of the term amour-propre. In the evaluating and interpretive sense this notion frequently co-occurs with the notions of the sense of personal dignity, dignity and respect. The importance of “recognition” is connected with the development of economics Fukayama answers the question of aim and values in accordance with Plato saying that when a people becomes richer, more cosmopolitan and better educated it demands not only a greater richness but also the recognition of its position. The second part of the paper contains reflections on problems discussed during the meeting of the 2O'h World Congress of Philosophy held in Boston. It can be said that they concentrated on: appreciation of minority philosophy as a part of cultural pluralism; broadening of intercultural dialogue, acceptance of diversity and pluralism of truth, freedom of discussion, openness on different world views. An important issue was the guidance towards the education of people, especially the young ones, as it is helpful in solving intellectual conflicts and in shaping the intellectual integrity. The notion of paideia was referred to in this case. The task is to teach how to live a morally and intellectually independent lives. The basis is also to be the ethical education without authorities which will enable man to investigate the sense of existence and to find orientation in the world by himself or herself. This means that already from childhood it is necessary to teach generally human ethics or philosophical ethics, which will prevent an inflation of human rights. (shrink)

One of the questions that Heidegger presents in his paper, ‘Plato’s Doctrine on Truth’, is the distortion as he sees it of paideia—that is the loss of the essential elements in education. This loss is characterised according to Heidegger, by a misconception of Plato’s concept of teaching and learning. By undertaking an historical examination, Heidegger provides a means to rectify this loss. With reference to past, present and future philosophical perspectives of teaching and learning as particular spaces, an attempt (...) is made in this paper to examine Heidegger’s reading of paideia within the context of online learning. This, for many contemporary writers on education, is an encounter with new literacies, new knowledge and the adoption of an online environment that challenges the hegemonic order of the institution as the purveyors of knowledge. Teachers within this new environment are, however still constituted as experts and their knowledge is seen as ultimately inviolate. Heidegger in his re-interpretation of Plato sees the teacher as leading the students to where they might make themselves intelligible within the space of their being. This alignment forms an acceptance and a challenge to the metaphysical concepts of uniformity of being and place that limits the potential of knowledge as something that is fixed and complete. The experience of the social web or Web 2.0 has seen a shift in learning premised upon dialogue, exchange and constantly shifting horizons. Within this context, the teacher is recast as a craftsman, creating learning opportunity within dialogic exchange. The heightened sense of involvement that is revealed in this context lays the ground for a future visioning of education where emergence is seen as essential, unlike a re-working of authorisation to learn that inhibits student and teacher alike in new attempts at revitalising education. (shrink)

This article proposes a rereading of Peircean semiosis according to which, beyond its predominantly representational or logical-formal reception, it may be understood, within the architectonic of the normative sciences, as a process of rational formation (paideia). To clarify this dimension, the paper adopts a heuristic framework based on the approximation between the classical Platonic axiological triad — the Beautiful, the Good, and the True — and the Peircean architectonic of the normative sciences — Esthetics, Ethics, and Logic. It argues (...) that this ordering provides a fruitful principle for understanding the unfolding of the sign through its interpretants. From this perspective, rationality involves a qualitative openness to what is admirable in itself, a practical mediation of conduct in the face of the resistance of the existent, and a consolidation into self-controlled habits oriented toward truth. The paper concludes that semiosis not only conveys meaning but also participates in the constitution of concrete reasonableness, making it possible to distinguish between genuinely normative processes of rational formation and merely representational or inferential operations. (shrink)

Journal of Philosophy of Education, EarlyView.

If Paideia means education in the classical sense, that is, education of the whole person, then authentically justifying such education in the modern world is extremely problematic. We are first drawn to practical defenses of a liberal education, that it is in itself of service and useful, both to society and to the individual. However, a practical defense of Paideia in the classical sense simply comes across as feeble and even a bit desperate and every savvy student knows (...) it. Far better, it seems, to take courses aimed at general problem solving, or at honing critical thinking skills, or at developing socio-political sophistication, than to read Shakespeare or Plato. (shrink)

Werner Jaeger (1888–1961) was at his time the most brilliant and the most influential German classicist. His most important project was a tripartite study that he finally published under the title of Paideia. Die Formung des griechischen Menschen (1933–1947). Paideia was much more than a detailed scholarly book on pedagogy in the ancient world. It was an attempt to interpret the history of ancient thought—from Homeric epics to Attic tragedy and Platonic philosophy—as rooted in the intention to educate (...) (or rather to ‘form’) human beings. And it was the attempt to contribute to a contemporary German movement called ‘Third Humanism’. In this article, I give a critical overview of this work, its strengths and its shortcomings. (shrink)

This paper will reflect on the possibility of epistemic decolonization, particularly in terms of curriculum, as a transformative educational process in the context of the South African university, and with respect to my own positionality. The argument will centre around two difficult interdependent positions. On the one hand I will argue for the university’s task as transformational, even offering, via Cornel West, the ‘salvific’ possibility that knowledge offers those who seek it. To develop this claim, I will draw on and (...) develop the notion of paideia though the work of Plato and Heidegger.On the other hand, within the postcolonial African university, the question of decolonization in the tertiary space cannot be elided, particularly since the 2015 #RhodesMustFall and #FeesMustFall movements. The university is a powerful colonial relic, and it can be used to reinforce and perpetuate epistemic violence through unreflective or unconscious pedagogical and curriculum decisions. Here I draw on decolonial thinkers such as Santos, Mignolo, Maldonado-Torres, and Mbembe: I argue for a reckoning with the forces of coloniality, and advocate for epistemic justice and criticality, as part of the decolonizing project. In conclusion, working with ideas from Cornel West, I argue to reconcile paideia, as the ‘turning of the soul’, with the decolonizing African university. (shrink)

Paideia– i.e. Greek culture, comprising, amongst other things, language, literature, philosophy and medicine – was a constituent component of the social identity of the elite of the Roman empire: as a number of influential studies on the Second Sophistic have recently shown, leading members of society presented themselves as such by their possession and deployment of cultural capital, for example by performing oratory, writing philosophy or showcasing medical interventions. As the ‘common language’ of the men ruling the various parts (...) of the empire, Greek culture became a characteristic of, and thus ade factocondition for, leading socio-political positions. Whilst most elite men would have taken for granted a good cultural education no less than a leading position, an outstanding command of the classical Greek language, literature and tradition as displayed in epideictic performances allowed some orators, philosophers and doctors to move distinctively up the social ladder, sometimes reaching the ears of, and thereby wielding influence over, the emperor himself. (shrink)

O propósito deste ensaio é o de investigar as razões pelas quais a educação de Alcibíades por Sócrates não é tão exitosa quanto a educação de Sócrates por Diotima. Em outras palavras: qual é o motivo da derrota de Sócrates enquanto educador? Segundo a minha interpretação, enquanto Sócrates aprende de Diotima a scala amoris com a separação ontológica entre entidades materiais e imateriais, isto é, ideais, Alcibíades não recebe esta mesma teoria de Sócrates. A falta deste conhecimento (isto é, dos (...) princípios metafísicos do platonismo) é a razão pela qual Alcibíades pode propor a Sócrates a troca da verdade (isto é, da verdadeira virtude) pela opinião (a beleza corporal). (shrink)

Die platonische Lebenskunst ist keine Ethik des Willens, sondern des Verstehens. Es geht ihr nicht darum, den Willen des Menschen auf bestimmte Werte oder Normen zu lenken, sondern sie lädt ein, auf umfassende, ganzheitliche und existenzielle Weise zu verstehen, was es bedeutet, im eigentlichen Sinne ein lebendiger Mensch zu sein : die areté der psyché – bzw. die drei aretaí der ›Seelenteile‹ – zur Entfaltung zu bringen. Der Weg dorthin ist kein religiöser Weg der Askese oder Unterwerfung und auch kein (...) Weg utilitaristischer Nutzenkalküle oder zweckrationaler Strategien. Es ist vielmehr der Weg der Bildung, der paideía. Wir können ihn als ein Programm der Kultivierung der im Menschen latenten Anlage zum voll erblühten Menschsein beschreiben, keineswegs aber als ein methodisch-technisches Programm der Menschenoptimierung. Es geht ihm darum, naturgemäß zu leben und der psyché, die ein jeder Mensch seinem Wesen nach ist, stimmig zu entsprechen. (shrink)