Paideia in Athens in the 4th century B. C. : ‘higher education’ between activity and contemplation

Abstract

The author analyses the process of forming of ‘higher education’ in Ancient Greece and peculiarities of its functioning in Athens in the 4th century B. C. The analysis proves that by the second half of the century a specific type of intellectual activity based on striving for profound knowledge had been formed among the Ionic physicists and Pythagoreans. Knowledge is regarded as a value asserted by the key figure of a sage (σοφός, σοφιστής), whose activities combine contemplation (θεωρία) with social activity (πρᾶξις). In the 5th century B. C., the tradition was supported by the sophists, i.e. professional sages, who regarded education as a rationally organized process oriented at socially signifi cant practical results. In the 4th century Athens the choice between activity and contemplation proved to be a touch stone for creating regular educational institutions: rhetoric schools oriented at social life (βίος πολιτικός) and philosophic ones based on the ideal of contemplative life (βίος θεωρητικός). Anyway, close reading of Plato makes it evident that he was aware of the contradictory nature of the chosen ideal and argued in favour of searching for a compromise. Aristotle’s acceptance of practical life (βίος πρακτικός) as an ideal one could be treated as a sort of coming back to the ideals of sages and as a way of uniting the social and contemplative ideals.

Keywords:

ancient Greek philosophy, knowledge as value, education, a sophist, a philosopher, an ideal, contemplative life, social life, Plato, Aristotle