Plato (429–347 B.C.E.): Student of Socrates, teacher of Aristotle, and founder of the Academy in Athens, Plato is a seminal figure in philosophy. It is difficult to overestimate his influence on Western philosophy—his work is still influential in topics ranging from metaphysics to politics. In the Republic, Plato conceived of education as crucial for the maintenance of the state; an educational system functions to separate and then teach students according to their abilities. Those most qualified are trained by the state to assume positions in the ruling class.
Aristotle (384 - 322 BCE): Aristotle was also a major figure in Greek philosophy, and has made crucial contributions to human knowledge, in areas such as ethics, metaphysics, biology, mathematics, and logic; only Plato rivals him in terms of influence. Aristotle conceived one of education’s primary goods to be the production of virtuous members of society. His Nichomachean Ethics remains a central treatise on the virtues.
Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274): Saint Thomas Aquinas is considered the Catholic Church’s greatest philosopher and theologian. A great deal of modern thought owes to his reflections on ethics and politics, and his close interpretations of Aristotle’s works. A religious perennialist, Aquinas held that the purpose of education was to teach that which is worthwhile, including science, logic, mathematics, and natural theology.
John Locke (1632-1704): John Locke was an English philosopher, and one of the most important of the Enlightenment thinkers. An advocate of liberty and equality for all men, Locke held that the purpose of education was the maintenance of a good society—one in which the government is able to protect the private property rights of its citizens. In such a society, men find happiness in carrying out their duties.
Jean-Jacque Rousseau (1712 -1778): Rousseau was a Geneva-born writer, composer, and political philosopher, whose ideas on social contract theory were a major influence in the French and American Revolutions. He championed the notion of the “noble savage”, and held that people find their natural virtues when not shackled by society. His thinking on education was impacted by this notion: Rousseau argued that a proper education taught students through real-life experience, with their own curiosity acting as their guides.
Immanuel Kant (1724 –1804): German philosopher Immanuel Kant is one of the great influential figures in the history of philosophy; only Plato, Socrates, and a handful of others match him in importance. He ushered in a new way of thinking about issues in epistemology, metaphysics, and ethics. The purpose of education, the argued, was to instruct students in rules of conduct that could be consistently acted upon without contradiction. A proper education perfected character, and in doing so promoted historical progress.
John Stuart Mill (1820-1903): J.S. Mill was a British philosopher, famous for his promotion of personal freedoms against the power of the state, and for his advocacy of utilitarianism. Like Kant, Mill’s philosophy of education was strongly influenced by his moral philosophy. The purpose of education, Mill thought, was to foster a morally ideal society. For Mill, this means a society in which the greatest number of people enjoys the greatest good—happiness. This is achieved by helping students to associate the performance of duties—even when these duties involve self-sacrifice—with pleasure.
