Rethinking the ancient categories of paideia, kalokagatia and phronesis in the context of the transformation of the modern educational paradigm

Abstract

The article presents a comprehensive socio-philosophical analysis and rethinking of the fundamental ancient categories – paideia, kalokagatia and phronesis – in the context of radical transformations of the modern educational paradigm. The aim of the study is to theoretically substantiate the transformation of the modern educational paradigm on the basis of a systematic philosophical synthesis of the ancient categories of paideia, kalokagatia and phronesis as a holistic ontological matrix capable of overcoming the technocratic and existential crisis of education in the context of digitalization and global anthropological challenges.

To achieve the goal, a complex of methodological approaches was used: hermeneutic analysis of ancient primary sources (Plato, Aristotle) and their modern interpretations (V. Jaeger, M. Heidegger), a phenomenological method for describing the experience of education as an «event of being», as well as a systemic-paradigmatic approach, which allowed us to compare the instrumental model of modern education with the holistic ideal of antiquity.

The results of the study indicate that modern education is experiencing a state of «apaideia» – the loss of value and semantic guidelines due to the replacement of the upbringing of a holistic person with highly specialized training. It is proved that the category of «paideia» should be considered not as a set of pedagogical technologies, but as an ontological act of «turning over the whole soul», which ensures the transition from passive consumption of information to active self-construction of the personality. The role of «kalokagatia» as the ideal of syncretic unity of the ethical and aesthetic, which allows overcoming the postmodern fragmentation of the subject, is substantiated. Special attention is paid to the concept of «phronesis» (practical wisdom), which in the article is interpreted as ethical competence that precedes theoretical knowledge and is critically necessary for making responsible decisions in a complex socio-cultural environment.

The conclusions emphasize that the return to ancient standards of education allows for the formation of a new educational model focused on the upbringing of a «whole person» capable of harmoniously combining intellectual development with moral perfection. It is established that phronesis as a life wisdom is a key virtue for a modern specialist, since it provides the ability to rational evaluative judgment in conditions of rapid technological change. The revitalization of ancient categories is defined not as a step back, but as an anticipatory strategy for preserving human subjectivity in an era of global uncertainty.