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Single Idea 2847

[filed under theme 25. Social Practice / E. Policies / 5. Education / a. Aims of education ]

Full Idea

One might perhaps suppose that serious activity in childhood may have for its aim the amusement of the complete and adult man.

Gist of Idea

The aim of serious childhood play is the amusement of the complete adult

Source

Aristotle (Politics [c.332 BCE], 1339a30)

Book Ref

Aristotle: 'Politics', ed/tr. Sinclair,T.A. /Saunders,T. [Penguin 1992], p.462

A Reaction

It is very Aristotelian to have a concept of 'serious' childhood play. I doubt whether Nichomachus had much fun. Aristotle thinks the good amusement of adults is very important.

The 14 ideas with the same theme [what educators should try to achieve]:

532 Successful education must go deep into the soul [Protagoras]
322 Intelligence is the result of rational teaching; true opinion can result from irrational persuasion [Plato]
2811 A state is plural, and needs education to make it a community [Aristotle]
22588 A city has a single end, so education must focus on that, and be communal, not private [Aristotle]
2847 The aim of serious childhood play is the amusement of the complete adult [Aristotle]
11150 It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain an idea without accepting it [Aristotle]
19979 In monarchies education ennobles people, and in despotisms it debases them [Montesquieu]
8106 In raising a child we must think of his old age [Joubert]
22786 Children need discipline, to break their self-will and eradicate sensuousness [Hegel]
7224 We need individual opinions and conduct, and State education is a means to prevent that [Mill]
14845 Don't crush girls with dull Gymnasium education, the way we have crushed boys! [Nietzsche]
23851 Education is essentially motivation [Weil]
4247 It is a mark of our having ethical values that we aim to reproduce them in our children [Williams,B]
22369 Are students consumers or products of education? [Fisher]