GREEK PAIDEIA: HISTORICAL CONTEXT, CHARACTER, ACTUALITY - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

The Greek paideia consisted of a model of education implemented by the ancient Greeks that transmitted mainly technical and moral knowledge. Similarly, paideia was characterized by training the individual in order to turn him into a competent person to fulfill the civic duties demanded by the polis.

Within the concept of paideia disciplines such as geometry, gymnastics, rhetoric, grammar, philosophy and mathematics were grouped, which were considered as the necessary pillars to provide the student with knowledge and care. However, manual activities - carpentry, blacksmithing - were not included, since these were believed unworthy of an exemplary citizen.

The Greek Paideia consisted of a model of education implemented by the ancient Greeks that transmitted mainly technical and moral knowledge. Source: pixabay.com

The mastery of disciplines such as grammar and rhetoric guaranteed the individual to be able to perform correctly in the agora - a place where important issues were discussed - which required good persuasion skills. As for the pure sciences such as mathematics, they provided man with the necessary objectivity to act as a legislator.

On the other hand, gymnastics skills guaranteed students the ability to develop in the art of war, the only manual activity that was included in paideia. All these characteristics made up the aristocratic profile of the Greeks and were linked to the arete, which consisted of the total excellence of the individual.

Later, the concept of paideia was taken over by the Romans, who translated it as humanitas. This word meant pedagogy, culture and education.

All these elements had to be typical of free men and were related to the development of all other disciplines. In other words, the humanitas or paideia was everything that makes man a human being and that differentiates him from the barbarians.

Historic context

Although the concept of paideia was already used since the fifth century BC, the author Werner Jaeger in his text Paideia: the ideals of Greek culture (2001), established that the principles of paideia were applied with greater vigor after the taking of the city of Athens by the Spartans in 404 BC. C.

This was because, after facing the devastations of war, the Greeks had to hold more tightly to their educational, moral, and spiritual ideals. In this way, the city would be able to recover in less time and strengthen itself for the next battles.

In fact, some authors claim that the fall of Athens brought about the emergence of a remarkable group of young poets, historians, and orators, who spiritually enriched Greek society and established new educational guidelines based on the teachings of the Sophists (term that designated the men who taught knowledge).

Due to this, Werner Jaeger argued that the fourth century was the most important moment in the history of paideia, since this time symbolized the awakening of an entire ideal of culture and education that has even left its reminiscences in today's societies.

The character of the paideia

Following the text La Paideia griega (1989) by Franco Alirio Vergara, it can be established that the paideia was made up of two fundamental elements or needs:

Plastic and aesthetic necessity

The Greek paideia was characterized by defending the aesthetics of both objects and subjects. In fact, it is known that the Greeks admired harmony and symmetry within artistic creation. For this reason, its educational system valued good and beautiful things above all else and was greatly influenced by nature.

The Greeks admired harmony and symmetry within artistic creation. Source: pixabay.com

According to Franco Vergara, paideia required men who could represent and shape human nature. For this reason, the students had to observe natural beings very frequently to learn from them the meaning of shapes and figures, as well as the functioning of things.

Likewise, paideia had as its basic principle mimesis –that is, the notion of imitation-, which had to be introduced into the training of both artists and other men.

Political necessity

For Greek education, man was a political being by nature and had a tendency to live in a society that differentiated him from other beings. For example, just as bees build their combs, men had to build the polis. In other words, it was natural for the Greeks that the human being decided to live in community and be interested in politics.

Likewise, although the Greeks defended the individual character of man, this could not exist if he did not cohabit in the polis. That is to say, for a Greek it was impossible to conceive the separate individuality of the Polis; while the polis could only exist in the coexistence of individuals.

Therefore, the human form had to adapt to the political exercise of man. Furthermore, every human act was considered political, originated in the polis, and was destined to contribute to its well-being.

Because of this, the highest ambition of a citizen of the polis was to be recognized as a prominent member within his community, as this was a great honor and the highest aspiration of every individual.

The Greek paideia today

The pedagogical and educational sense of the paideia functioned as a tool to construct not only the ideals of Greek civilization, but those of the entire West. This humanistic ideal has been preserved to this day, since today it is still considered that what we are and what we want to be is achieved through education.

In addition, the West also took from the Greeks the search for excellence, which guarantees man to stand out among the individuals of his community. However, this excellence must not only contribute to individual development, but must also guarantee collective well-being.

In conclusion, it can be affirmed that the guidelines of the Greek paideia are in force because still man cannot conceive his individuality without demonstrating a political and social interest. According to the Greeks, the human being seeks to create communities by nature and maintain harmony within them.

References

1. Flinterman, J. (1995) Power, paideia and pythagoreanism: Greek identity. Retrieved on November 6, 2019 from Brill: brill.com
2. García, C. (sf) The actuality of the Greek paideia from the study of literature and classical philosophy. Retrieved on November 6, 2019 from COMIE: comie.org.mx
3. González, J. (sf) The influence of ancient education in current education: the ideal of Paideia. Retrieved on November 6, 2019 from Researchgate: researchgate.net
4. Hoof, V. (2013) Performing paideia: greek culture as an instrument for social promotion. Retrieved November 6 from Cabridge: cambidge.org
5. Jaeguer, W. (2001) Paideia: the ideals of Greek culture. Retrieved on November 6, 2019 from WordPress: wordpress.com
6. Vergara, F. (1989) La paideia griega. Retrieved on November 6, 2019 from Dialnet: dinalnet.net
7. Whitmarsh, T; Cairns, D. (2001) Greek literature and the Roman empire: the politics of imitation. Retrieved on November 6, 2019 from the Institute of Classical Studies.