The roots of educational theory in the West reach back to Plato and his pupil Aristotle in the fourth century B.C. Both of these foundational philosophers wrote about education, sketching out a theory of the proper purposes and methods of study.
In Book VIII of “Politics,” Aristotle proposed a program of study for young people with just four subject areas: reading and writing, gymnastic exercises, music, and drawing. Aristotle’s curriculum for young students strikes us with its simplicity, a simplicity that nevertheless contains a deep understanding of human nature and the ends of education.
