| Summary: | <p>This thesis is a philosophical and historical examination of the question of the nature of education. There are two ideas of the nature of education. The Isocratic idea is defined by the claim that the normative intentions of education are deductively derived from, and therefore relative to, an axiomatic political doctrine. The Socratic idea is defined by the claim that such intentions are constructed on the basis of permanent and universal philosophical questions, and not relative to political belief and aspiration. The thesis is primarily intended to clarify the question of the nature of education by explicating these two alternative ideas in critical contrast with one another.</p>
<p>The argument of the thesis proceeds as follows. Part One (Chapters One and Two) argues that the heritage of Isocrates has influenced virtually every aspect of the historical development of Western civilization, particularly education, and yet does not appear in contemporary educationist literature. Part Two (Chapters Four to Seven) explicates the logical structure of the Isocratic idea of education, as well as the Isocratic tradition of educational thought and practice generally, and shows that both the idea and the tradition provides the unity of Western education from classical antiquity until the present day. Part Three (Chapters Eight to Ten) argues that the Isocratic idea of education may no longer be tenable in contemporary educational thought or practice, and that we ought therefore to reconsider the alternative Socratic idea. The Socratic idea of the nature of education, as well as some aspects of the practical educational programme based upon it, are examined in some detail.</p>
<p>The thesis draws two conclusions. First, for practical, theoretical, and philosophical reasons, we must return to the question of the nature of education in full awareness of the two alternative ideas available to us. Second, and by implication, the future status and credibility of educational philosophy as an academic discipline cannot be improved without a return to careful study of the historical foundations of the discipline.</p>
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