Spirit and education Discussion about basic philosophical principles of education and the necessity of the return to the same

One of the basic characteristics of man is that he is an educational being. Philosophical tradition finds the reason for this in his spiritual soul. For Humboldt and his restoration of the university, for example, the soul is the basis of this process. Contemporary philosophy of education and especially pedagogy and related sciences, however, (completely) avoid talking about the soul with regard to upbringing, and especially with regard to education. This leads us to the central thesis of the article, which we summarize in the following: education cannot and must not be reduced only to the acquisition of knowledge and abilities, i.e. skills in the form of mere training, but must return to its deepest foundations, which can also be viewed as fundamental determinants, perspectives of education in general: by opening to the whole world, the soul (person) contributes to itself in education. Education, however, is neither reduced exclusively to the theoretical-speculative aspect of acquiring and "processing" knowledge, nor is the point only at the level of the moral-moral aspect, but it is indicated that at its center is placed man in his totality and particularity. We develop the central thesis of the article as part of four main chapters: in the first, which is also the starting point, we analyze the Greek-Platonic tradition of thought in terms of education, emphasizing, at the same time, two decisive concepts, imago (image) and imitatio (imitation). This is followed by the second chapter in which we select two, in our opinion, key theorists - Humboldt and Hegel - who, each in their own way, observe the "soul" of education through the concepts of universality in the form of detachment from the particular and freedom in the form of solitude, i.e. detachment from the multitude. The presentations presented do not in any way detract from one of the important characteristics of education, training, which is presented in the third chapter, where it is tried to make it clear that, if it wants to be authentic, it must also take into account the "approach of the soul to itself". The concluding excerpts in the fourth chapter provide evidence of the current state of affairs with regard to education, such as a sudden return to functionalism and practice and the absence of any idea about it, which is ultimately the result of the "expulsion of the spirit from education" (K. P. Liessmann).