Fabio Merlini, The pendulum of education. Athens and Sparta: two allegories of paideia

 

What is the origin of the idea that it is always a good thing to allow pupils, students and apprentices to access what we now call “general culture”, and which even deserves the title of an independent discipline in Swiss professional schools, next to other disciplines and professional subjects?

The answer cannot be just that it must be done as it is important in order to prepare future professionals who are good citizens, too.

Because the point is just to understand in what sense and for what reasons a “good” citizen is the one who has a certain cultural knowledge.

How to explain the obviousness of this connection?

 

Keywords: citizenship; general knowledge; higher education.

 

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Published on: <a href=”https://www.paideutika.it/n-29-nuova-serie-anno-xv-2019-l-educazione-tra-norma-e-trasgressione/en”>N. 29 New Series – Year XV 2019 – Education between rule and transgression</a>