The 10 Most Influential Progressive and Spiritual Leaders in Education (Part 1)

3. Aristotle (384-322 BCE). A student of Plato, and equally (or nearly so) revered and influential in Western philosophy, Aristotle diverged a bit from his teacher by emphasizing the particulars of reality rather than the universal (and invisible to us) “forms.” Aristotle’s intensely detailed and insightful focus on the particulars led to his work being vastly influential for the development of the sciences in the medieval world, and was a precursor to the beginnings of modern science. Like Plato, for Aristotle we are “rational animals”; and like Plato and Confucius, the goal of education is a well-formed, virtuous person, which collectively results in a well-ordered and just society. Unlike his teacher, Aristotle rejected gender equality in education, relegating women to traditionally private roles.