Full Description
This book develops a conception of student flourishing as the overarching aim of education. Taking as its basis the Aristotelian concept of eudaimonia, it provides a theoretical study of the foundations of flourishing that goes well beyond Aristotle's approach.
Flourishing as the Aim of Education argues that the 'good life' of the student, to which education should contribute, must involve engagement with self-transcendent ideals and ignite awe-filled enchantment. It allows for social, individual and educational variance within the concept of flourishing, and it engages with a host of socio-political as well as 'spiritual' issues that are often overlooked in literature discussing character education. Each chapter closes with food for thought for practitioners who can directly facilitate student flourishing.
An outgrowth of the author's previous monograph Aristotelian Character Education, this book follows new directions in questioning how to educate young people towards a life of overall flourishing. It will be of great interest to researchers, academics and post-graduate students in the fields of character education, moral education and moral philosophy, as well as to educators and policy-makers.
Contents
Preface; An Introduction to the Concept of Flourishing: Good Character and Beyond; Theories of Flourishing in Education: From the Ideal to the Practical; The Flourishing-Happiness Concordance Thesis: Do These Two Always Go Hand in Hand?; The Limitations of Even Supreme Moral Virtue: Why We Need Contemplation and Wonder to Flourish; Flourishing and Awe: Towards an Extended, 'Enchanted' Aristotelian Theory; Flourishing and Epiphanies: Going beyond Aristotle and Kohlberg; Flourishing and the Emulation of Exemplarity: Going Beynd Aristotle and Zagzebski; Conclusions and Reflections - and Where We Need to Head Next; References; Index
