Plato
This ancient Greek philosopher lived from 427-347 B.C. and is credited as the founding figure of intellectual foundations of Western Civilization. He was mentored by Socrates and would go on to teach Aristotle--another ancient Greek philosopher. He essentially rejected the ancient intellectual way of Athens and became a proponent of liberal education. He believed that having a general, genuine education was more valuable to a person than a specialized education. Being able to apply knowledge in a general context that can be transferred to a variety of different scenarios in life would allow for a person to make informed, ethical decisions and live a better life. Besides, according to Plato, education is a key element in creating productive members of society. Plato shared his thoughts on creating the "ideal society" in his work The Republic. It essentially provided policymakers with a framework on how to structure society, politics, and the educational system in order to produce "the good life on Earth" (Gutek, 2010). Educators benefited from The Republic by applying Plato's ideas in reference to the kind of education that was necessary to prepare people to be productive, contributing citizens of Grecian society. Plato believed that teachers should create an environment of critical thinking by asking questions that will prompt students to think and learn--a process that would usher them from the sensory world to the realm of ideas. Obvious contributions to American education that derived from Plato's ideas: 1) the idea that education is necessary for educating citizens who will go on to participate and effect change in their country's political system, and 2) the process of selection--"identifying and selecting persons of intellectual promise to lead society" (Gutek, 2010). Both of these ideas have infiltrated the American educational system and offer both a purpose and a premise on which our country's educational system stands.
Aristotle
Aristotle at the Lyceum
Aristotle is known as the Founder of Realism and the Founding Father of Western Philosophy. He was an ancient Athenian Greek philosopher, scholar, and educator who lived from 384-322 B.C. He was also a student of Plato. Aristotle believed that knowledge is based on human observation which in turn, guides human behavior. He said that human life is meaningful because it has purpose. We are able to define our own identities, make choices, and shape our own destinies because we have logic and rationality at our disposal. Aristotle believed that education and the ultimate goal of human existence was to achieve excellence! He felt that education should deal with the unchanging elements of human nature--the power to reason and to communicate. He said that human education occurs formally and informally. Formal education supports one's quest for happiness--and this is where teachers come in. Aristotle founded the Lyceum, a school of learning, and was a huge advocate for liberal arts and sciences. At the Lyceum, his students studied natural sciences, politics, metaphysics, and ethics. He believed that research and teaching were inseparable aspects of instruction, basing his lectures on scientific findings and his own philosophical ideas (Gutek, 2010). Aristotle felt that schooling served a three-pronged purpose in society: 1) by developing and exercising students' potential for reasoning; 2) to help students form ethical character; and 3) to provide students with skills and a knowledge base--all things that would create an informed and productive citizen (Gutek, 2010). Aristotle's key contributions to American education are informed by his idea of organizing knowledge into fields or subjects (i.e. his works On Justice, On Animals, On Plants, On the Soul, etc); his belief, much like Plato's, that education should be general versus specialized (basically calling for a well-rounded learning experience); and his ideas on the importance of liberal education and its place in higher education ( mirroring the curricular foundations of most of today's colleges and universities). These contributions have left their mark on the American educational system in practical ways that have found their way, even into the 21st Century.