Democracy and Education : From the Perspective of Educational Ethics

This study aims to define the relationship between democracy and education from the perspective of educational ethics. The current profound confusion over the meaning of democracy originates from the separation between politics and education. When the ideals of democracy are regarded merely as issues related to electoral systems, party politics, or the separation of powers — apart from educational practice — the ideals of freedom, equality, and respect for humanity lose their foundation. The Platonic insight that politics and education share an essential unity suggests that the meaning and value of democracy should be understood not from the standpoint of conventional political science but from that of a “politics inseparable from education.” From the perspective of educational ethics, the realization of democratic ideals — freedom, equality, and respect for humanity — is not merely a political matter. In the spirit of scholē, rooted in the tradition of liberal education, freedom signifies liberation from all forms of labor(a-scholia) rather than the mere ability to do as one wishes; equality implies the de-proletarianization of all; and respect for humanity denotes reverence for the divine principle inherent in every human being. The realization of democracy, therefore, depends on the realization and restoration of education.