Aristotle and the Purpose of Education
Every generation seems to question, What is the point of education? For many, the answer may feel obvious—school is about preparing for college, building critical thinking skills, and eventually getting a job and a steady career. Constant standardized tests, grades, and workforce readiness dominate most conversations about education. But more than two thousand years ago, the philosopher Aristotle raised his own challenge to these same views. He argued that the purpose of education wasn’t just to train workers, but to mold humans into beings capable of living content lives and fit to contribute to and sustain a community.
First, for Aristotle, education should not be a private matter, because if every citizen belongs to the community equally, then the way each person is educated should be equal. The education one is given directly affects who they can be. In part 1 of Politics he said, “The character of democracy creates democracy, and the character of oligarchy creates oligarchy; and always the better the character, the better the government.” That’s why he always insisted that education should be founded on the common good of the community, not just the individual.
In his view, the central aim of education was virtue. Schools were not only meant to churn out workers for a functioning economy, but to cultivate the character, morals, and judgment that allow people to coexist through literacy and knowledge. These elements prepare citizens not only for labor, but for the noble aims of reflection, philosophy, and participation in a society.
Aristotle thought the most important question education should answer was not “What job do I qualify for?” but instead, “What kind of person will I become, and can I contribute to the community?”
Fast forward to now, we can see Aristotle's theory is very relevant. Education is often misunderstood to be just an assembly line for creating people for the workforce, which massively belittles its importance. Schools are judged by test scores, graduation rates, and how many students move on to college and careers. Those things matter, but when they become the only measures of success, something vital gets lost.
When civic responsibility is pushed aside, students may leave school ready to work but remain unprepared for how to contribute to society as a citizen. A society that produces excellent workers but disengaged citizens risks weakening the very democracy it depends on. The education system needs a balance of benefiting individuals and being organized enough to help a civilization. A current threat to that today is the Trump administration’s proposed $4.5 billion in cuts to federal education programs. These include cuts to funding for the arts, civics, literacy, and support for English learners. These programs are currently being consolidated into a “K-12 Simplified Funding Program,” leaving states with more power—but far less money than before.
