Thursday, October 1, 2020

Golden Mean



Aristotle believed that the person who follows a true purpose leads a life of moderation, avoiding extremes. There are two Aristotelian extremes: the extreme of too little and the extreme of too much.

Such as, in terms of eating; if one eats too much, one will suffer from obesity, lack of energy, poor health in general, or death. The moderate man or woman -the thinking person- avoids such excesses. For Aristotle, the proper perspective is the Golden Mean, a path between extremes.

Aristotle believed that a good education helps achieve the Golden Mean and thereby promotes the harmony and balance of both mind and body. For example, a good teacher is friendly with his/her students but at the same time has clear rules and limits.

For Aristotle, humans are rational creatures fulfilling their purpose when they think, and thinking is their highest characteristic. This is equal to what Islamic teachings has come with, in which Allah says in his book "We have honored the children of Adam" [Al Isra':70]. Allah have honored humans by giving them minds through which they can think and understand.


Ozmon, H. A. (2019). Philosophical Foundations of Education.


Quote 17

 "Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less."


- Marie Curie

Quote 16

 "The purpose of a proof is to understand, not verify."


- Arnold Ross

Quote 27

 "Looking at various means of developing compassion, I think empathy is an important factor: the ability to appreciate others' suff...