Part 1 (1/2)
Aristotle and Ancient Educational Ideals
by Tho to treat of Aristotle as the expounder of ancient educational ideas, I ik_ before ht simply have presented in an orderly way and with a little commentary, what is to be found on the subject of education in his various works--Politics, Ethics, Rhetoric, Poetics, etc I had two reasons, however, for not adopting this course: (1) that this work had been done, better than I could do it, in the treatise referred to, and (2) that a mere restatement of what Aristotle says on education would hardly have shown his relation to ancient pedagogy as a whole I therefore judged it better, by tracing briefly the whole history of Greek education up to Aristotle and down from Aristotle, to show the past which conditioned his theories and the future which was conditioned by thes be seen in their proper light And I have found that this es, of which I may mention one It has enabled me to show the close connection that existed at all times between Greek education and Greek social and political life, and to present the one as the reflection of the other And this is no se, since it is just from its relation to the whole of life that Greek education derives its chief interest for us We can never, indeed, return to the purely political education of the Greeks; they themselves had to abandon that, and, since then,
A boundless hope has passed across the earth--
a hope which gives our education aand a scope far wider than any that the State aims at; but in these days, when the State and the institution which eht to educate, it cannot but aid us in settling their respective claims, to follow the process by which they came to have distinct claims at all, and to see just what these mean This process, the method which I have followed has, I hope, enabledinto clearness This, at all events, has been one ofof the details of Greek educational practice, I have been guided by a desire to present only, or mainly, those which contribute to make up the complete picture For this reason I have o for the Oly no essential part of the systeive es with references to ancient authors, or quotations, in the original, from them; but this has seemed to me both unnecessary and unprofitable in a work intended for the general public I have, therefore, preferred to place at the heads of the different chapters, in English mostly, such quotations as see way, the spirit of the different periods and theories of Greek education Taken together, I believe these quotations will be found to present a fairly definite outline of the whole subject
In conclusion, I would say that, though I have used a few er, I have done so alard to every point I believe I have turned to the original sources If, therefore, my conclusions on certain points differ from those of writers of note who have preceded me, I can only say that I have tried to do inalmyself that I have reached the truth in every case, and shall be very grateful for corrections, in whatever spirit they may be offered; but I trust that I have been able to present in their essential features, the ”ancient ideals of education”
THOMAS DAVIDSON
”Glenmore,”
Keene, Essex Co, NY
October, 1891
BOOK I
INTRODUCTORY
CHAPTER I
CHARACTER AND IDEAL OF GREEK EDUCATION
Nothing in excess!--Solon
No citizen has a right to consider hiard the to the State, inasmuch as each is a part of the State; and care for the part naturally looks to care for the whole--Aristotle
Greek life, in all its le idea, and that an aesthetic one This idea, which worked sometimes consciously, sometimes unconsciously, was PROPORTION The Greek ternate the incarnate Word of Religion, but has also supplied es with a naic To the Greek, indeed, Reason always meant ratio, proportion; and a rational life meant to him a life of which all the parts, internal and external, stood to each other in just proportion Such proportion was threefold; _first_, between the different parts of the individual hu; _second_, between the individual and his fellows in a social whole; _third_, between the hu divine The realization of this threefold harmony in the individual was called by the Greeks WORTH (??et?, usually, but incorrectly, rendered Virtue) There has come down to us, from the pen of Aristotle, in whom all that was implicit in hellenism became explicit, a portion of a paean addressed to this ideal
It may be fitly inserted here, in a literal translation
TO WORTH
O Worth! stern taskin! for thy beauty's sake It is an envied lot in hellas even to die, And suffer toils devouring, unassuaged-- So well dost thou direct the spirit To fruit iold And parents and soft-eyed sleep
For thy cause Jove-born Hercules and Leda's sons Much underwent, by deeds Thy power proclai