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What Are the Aims of Education?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 January 2012

Frederick Schmitt
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Extract

Theorists of education have long debated the ultimate aims of education, often proposing one or another cognitive aim, such as true belief or critical thinking. I will argue first that there are no ultimate aims common to all kinds of education, apart from the vacuous ones of transmitting cognition and improving the student's cognition. In light of this conclusion, the matter to investigate is the ultimate aims of certain broad kinds of education. I will restrict my inquiry here to cognitive ultimate aims, and I will focus on liberal arts education. I will propose that the organizing cognitive ultimate aim of liberal arts education is justified belief rather than true belief.

Type
Research Article
Information
Episteme , Volume 1 , Issue 3 , February 2005 , pp. 223 - 234
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2005

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References

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