In our introductory lecture, we explore key questions of educational philosophy by considering what an ideal school should be and the complex choices educators face around curriculum, teaching, and assessment. Dr. Hicks examines how Greek texts, especially Homer and later philosophers, shaped ideas about human potential, learning, and the divine–mortal relationship. The lecture concludes with Aristotle’s comprehensive vision of education, uniting knowledge of the natural world with character and practical wisdom, showing the lasting relevance of these ancient principles to modern education.

In lecture two, we trace the shift from Ancient Greek to early Christian thought through Plato and St. Augustine, focusing on their views of human nature, education, and morality. Plato’s myths of Gyges and the Cave highlight his belief that humans are naturally immoral and ignorant, requiring painful, enforced enlightenment under philosopher-kings. Augustine builds on this with a Christian-Platonic synthesis, stressing original sin, strict discipline, and even compulsion in education and conversion, contrasting sharply with the more optimistic Aristotelian approach to human nature and learning.

In lecture three, we examine the period from the 1085 reconquest of Toledo to the Renaissance, when the rediscovery of Greek and Roman texts sparked competing visions of education. Thomas Aquinas sought to synthesize Aristotelian philosophy with Christian doctrine, while reformers like Luther and Savonarola rejected pagan influences outright. Meanwhile, Renaissance humanists such as Alberti and Michelangelo emphasized human potential and broad learning. These debates ultimately shaped practices from the liberal arts to questions of censorship and individual freedom.