Western education

Classical education refers to a long-standing tradition of pedagogy that traces its roots back to ancient Greece and Rome, where the foundations of Western intellectual and cultural life were laid.

At its core, classical education is centered on the study of the liberal arts, which historically comprised the trivium (grammar, rhetoric, and logic) and the quadrivium (arithmetic, geometry, music, and astronomy).

This educational model aimed to cultivate well-rounded individuals equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary to engage in public life, think critically, and pursue moral and intellectual virtues.

[2] The Roman Empire adopted and adapted these Greek educational ideals, placing a strong emphasis on rhetoric and the development of oratory skills, which were considered essential for participation in civic life.

[6] In China, as reformers sought to grapple with the foreign domination of the late 19th century, they came to a conclusion of re-ordering Chinese society through a process of self-strengthening, which included taking ideas from the West.

Illustration from a 16th-century manuscript showing a meeting of doctors at the University of Paris