The humanistic challenge of Catholic education: an essay for Catholic educators to consider

Abstract

It would be stating the obvious to assert that education, as it supports growth and allows for the promotion of the human self, necessarily hails from a humanistic perspective. But after putting this trite idea on the table, the matter remains problematic because the very smooth nature of such an assertion covers too well the challenges and issues related to the difficulty of being human in our contemporary societies and cultures, as well as the educational responsibility it entails. Indeed, to talk about education and humanism implies that one knows, with a certain amount of confidence, what it means to be human and how to become one. Yet, what was once relatively clear is no longer assured today.