The Conflict of Paideias in Gadamers Thought :: Philosophy Philosophical Papers

The Conflict of Paideias in Gadamer's Thought (1) ABSTRACT: Although Gadamer's study of Greek paideia has been virtually ignored in the scholarly literature, I argue that it is central to his philosophy of education. Gadamer singles out three kinds of paideia: traditional, sophistic and philosophic. Traditional paideia, grounded in an unaware habit or disposition of the soul, was vulnerable when sophistic paideia brought reasoned argument against it. This 'new' paideia originally supported traditional notions of the just and the good with its conscious art of argumentation and pragmatic enhancement of success. But this paideia also undermined conventional morality by arguing that it is only convention, thereby corrupting the youth of Athens by appealing to the untrammeled desire for power. Philosophical paideia takes its bearings from the sophistic as its deepest opponent and counterimage. It turns out, however, that the two are virtually indistinguishable. Both bring thinking to consciousness; both are rhetorical arts; both create confusion; and both are subject to the 'weakness of the logoi.' In the end, the difference between them rests not on distinctions of reason, but the intent of the reasoner. This conflict of paideias is relevant to the situation of education today. Problems of narrow technical perspective and the broadest ideological manipulation are directly traceable to sophistic paideia. Thus, Gadamer points to hermeneutical praxis as 'the heart of all education that wants to teach how to philosophize.' Hans-Georg Gadamer describes the traditional ideal of Greek education as turning the student toward everything exempt from necessity comprising the beautiful. (2) This paideia consisted above all in developing a harmonious disposition of the soul, a hexis or "habit," through early training in music and gymnastic. (3) Its guiding purpose was to create citizens fit to govern in freedom. Clearly the importance of paideia as an educational concept can hardly be over-emphasized. Gadamer is an increasingly influential figure in the philosophy of education. He is also one of the eminent classicists of our times. Yet although paideia and its relevance to contemporary education forms a recurring theme in Gadamer's writings, this historical dimension of his approach to education has been virtually ignored in the scholarly literature. (4) One may speculate that the reason for this lacuna is a tendency to approach the subject more analytically than historically. Moreover, the theme appears in so many essays, spanning Gadamer's entire career, that it is difficult to follow the trail of his study. The Conflict of Paideias in Gadamer's Thought :: Philosophy Philosophical Papers The Conflict of Paideias in Gadamer's Thought (1) ABSTRACT: Although Gadamer's study of Greek paideia has been virtually ignored in the scholarly literature, I argue that it is central to his philosophy of education. Gadamer singles out three kinds of paideia: traditional, sophistic and philosophic. Traditional paideia, grounded in an unaware habit or disposition of the soul, was vulnerable when sophistic paideia brought reasoned argument against it. This 'new' paideia originally supported traditional notions of the just and the good with its conscious art of argumentation and pragmatic enhancement of success. But this paideia also undermined conventional morality by arguing that it is only convention, thereby corrupting the youth of Athens by appealing to the untrammeled desire for power. Philosophical paideia takes its bearings from the sophistic as its deepest opponent and counterimage. It turns out, however, that the two are virtually indistinguishable. Both bring thinking to consciousness; both are rhetorical arts; both create confusion; and both are subject to the 'weakness of the logoi.' In the end, the difference between them rests not on distinctions of reason, but the intent of the reasoner. This conflict of paideias is relevant to the situation of education today. Problems of narrow technical perspective and the broadest ideological manipulation are directly traceable to sophistic paideia. Thus, Gadamer points to hermeneutical praxis as 'the heart of all education that wants to teach how to philosophize.' Hans-Georg Gadamer describes the traditional ideal of Greek education as turning the student toward everything exempt from necessity comprising the beautiful. (2) This paideia consisted above all in developing a harmonious disposition of the soul, a hexis or "habit," through early training in music and gymnastic. (3) Its guiding purpose was to create citizens fit to govern in freedom. Clearly the importance of paideia as an educational concept can hardly be over-emphasized. Gadamer is an increasingly influential figure in the philosophy of education. He is also one of the eminent classicists of our times. Yet although paideia and its relevance to contemporary education forms a recurring theme in Gadamer's writings, this historical dimension of his approach to education has been virtually ignored in the scholarly literature. (4) One may speculate that the reason for this lacuna is a tendency to approach the subject more analytically than historically. Moreover, the theme appears in so many essays, spanning Gadamer's entire career, that it is difficult to follow the trail of his study.