EDUCATION AS THE FOUNDATION OF ARISTOTLE'S (BEST) POLITICAL REGIME

Aristotle has traditionally occupied a secondary role in the history of classical Greek education. Despite the fact that the study of the theory of education has flourished in the last thirty years, the importance of this issue in his thought still seems not to be sufficiently recognized (Destree 2013). Education is the cornerstone of Aristotelian (ethical)-political science, since the construction and preservation of any political regime and not only the ideal one, depends on it (Politics VIII 1), while it is essential for men to complete their nature (Politics VII 17 1337a1-3). The purpose of this paper is to show that, despite the apparently inconclusive nature of his treatment of the subject, in Politics VII 13-17 and VIII 1-2 Aristotle provides enough information to recognize the philosophical relevance of education and identify the most important aspects of his educational theory.