Confucius, Aristotle, Aquinas, And Erasmus - 1713 Words

Confucius, Plato, Aristotle, Quintilian, Aquinas, and Erasmus As a Christian educator, it is important to base educational practices on Biblical authority. Christian education should teach students to learn to act like God and to do His work (Graham, 2003). â€Å"True education is to develop knowledge of God and His created reality and to use that knowledge in exercising a creative-redemptive dominion over the world . . . â€Å" (Graham, 2003, p. 57). Being a Christian educator, does not mean that organizational structure and curriculum occur in a vacuum. Educational philosophy and structure have been developing for thousands of years and the wise educational administrator should study and understand the history and ideas that impact the educational landscape of today. Confucius created his educational code 500 years before the birth of Christ (Gutek, 2011). According to Confucius, the purpose of education was to transmit cultural heritage through ritual, tradition, and hierar chy. He originally had a desire to enter into government service, but after traveling throughout China and studying various political institutions and traditions, he returned home and opened a school that combined both his goals of government service and teaching. Confucius believed that government officials needed to be highly educated and prepared to be ethical and benevolent leaders. The purpose of education was â€Å"an ethical theory intended to guide people on the way, or the path, to leading theShow MoreRelatedChapter One : Theoretical Framework Essay6065 Words   |  25 Pagesthe Chinese had also established formal schools. These early teachers emphasized individual character and citizenship. The earliest individual teachers to have a profound, direct effect on learner-centered education were the Chinese philosopher Confucius (551 B.C.-479 B.C.) and the Greek philosopher Socrates (469-399 B.C.). Henson (2003) provided an account of several philosophical contributions to the learners’ centered approach throughout history, up from Bacon (1561-1626); for instance, who has