Epilogue

Abstract

Greco-Roman philosophical protreptics articulated certain ideas that continue to influence modern debates about educational goals. Their authors argue that, in addition to the basic education offered to children, human beings need a lifelong education. Emphasizing the shared nature of human rationality, they promote the rational autonomy of the individual as the best foundation for a flourishing community. Unlike literary-rhetorical education, which effectively reproduced the existing ideological framework and social order, philosophical education sought to promote the core Socratic claim that happiness is up to us and that we can change our dispositions, shape our personalities, and construct our lives in a way that aligns them with the universal principles that govern the world. Although the teaching on these universal principles varied from school to school, by emphasizing the “view from above” as a necessary reference point for determining educational goals, all ancient philosophers aimed to transcend the narrow sociocentric and egocentric interests that underlie other pursuits and other forms of education.