Paideia is an ancient greek concept of education and cultivation of the soul. It is a key concept for the understanding of the ancient greek polis culture and the development and education of the citizens of the polis.
Originally the Paideia was reserved for only male children, the girls were educated at home in crafts like spinning, cooking, nursing, preparing for their role as wives. An exception here was Sparta. The Spartans had a different educational path called the Agoge which was reserved for only male children of the spartan families, The female children attend to have also a education, which was unusual throughout the hellenistic world.
The Paideia served teaching the becoming citizen skills to be a well educated, socialised and sophisticated member of the polis. The education was parted in three sections.
The mind was trained and cultivated in rhetoric, grammar, arithmetic and medicine.
The body was trained and cultivated in gymnastics and wrestling.
The soul was tained and cultivated in music, dance, poetry moral education and philosophy.
This educational concept is reflected in what is left of the modern education system built in it´s modern form by Wilhelm von Humboldt. Unfortunately that concept is woven into a hierarchichal instruction system in which the needed citized is formed. The original concept "Bildung" was introduced into the german language by the medieval 12th century theologian and philosopher Meister Eckhart. It reflects the idea of nurturing the human potential to strive in direction of the divine. The word "Bildung" come from the german "Abbild" best translated with image. Meister Eckhart was a christian philosopher and he developed the idea that, as we are all made in gods image, we are lesser imitations of a higher ideal of humankind and the highest goal in humans life is to strive for the divine idea of being a human or in that context reaching with ones soul to god, god being here the ideal and perfect idea and representation of being a human. "Bildung" needs therefore a cultivation of the mind, of the body and the soul to the highest possible amount.
Besides the educational process and development, Platon and Aristotele described the four cardinal virtues of being a human:
- Wisdom and truth
- Courage
- Justice
- Moderation
A human who reach for Arete in this qualities is cultivating his humankind to it´s full potential.