Introduction
Western paideia, understood as the integral formation of the human being, is undergoing a profound crisis. To understand its nature, we must look to other great civilizations—Islam, Judaism, and Confucianism—which created their own "laboratories" for shaping citizens. Modern schools, particularly in Poland, struggle with a painful rift between the transmission of knowledge and moral upbringing. This article analyzes the foundations of classical education and identifies ways out of institutional paralysis, proposing a return to the idea of agency and the unity of learning.
Religious laboratories as the foundation of human formation
For centuries, the civilizations of Islam, Judaism, and Confucianism have successfully combined intellectual development with the tempering of character. In the Islamic tradition, the concept of adab—the art of being human—is central, where knowledge always possesses an ethical dimension. The madrasa system integrated Aristotelian logic with the revealed order, creating a balance between reason and faith. Conversely, Judaism relies on the chavruta method—the communal study of the Torah through constant debate and questioning, which celebrates intellectual ferment rather than seeking simple syntheses.
In China, the keju civil service examination system bound Confucian ethics to state policy for a millennium. The goal was not an "expert," but a junzi—a noble person whose writing style manifested inner order. All these systems avoided the separation of upbringing from instruction, which has been tragic for the West. While we have entrusted knowledge to the school and values to the family, non-Western traditions treat education as an organic whole, protecting culture from fragmentation.
Trivium and quadrivium: four fortresses of classical paideia
The foundations of Western education remain the trivium (grammar, logic, rhetoric) and the quadrivium (arithmetic, geometry, music, astronomy). These "four ways" lead to the construction of four fortresses of the spirit: Reason, Virtue, Wonder, and Beauty. Reason (logos) is the discipline of thought, virtue (arete) is the training of character, wonder (thaumazein) is the beginning of philosophy, and beauty is the objective harmony of form and meaning. Education understood this way is a vital social investment that expands individual freedom and the capacity to participate in democracy.
Today, the effects of paideia can be studied scientifically, moving away from sterile testology. The effectiveness of reason is verified through argumentative analysis (Toulmin's model), and virtue through the discussion of moral dilemmas (Kohlberg's method). Wonder is measured by scales of curiosity and the quality of questions asked, while beauty is assessed by the ability to recognize order and proportion. Such an approach allows the school to become a forge of agency rather than merely a "competency factory" for the labor market.
Doctrinal crisis and the polarization of Polish schools
Polish schools suffer from a chronic lack of coherent doctrine and are trapped in an institutional anachronism, symbolized by the Teacher's Charter. Instead of being a laboratory for the future, the system has become a testing ground for culture wars. Political polarization destroys educational stability, as seen in the chaotic middle school reforms and disputes over the literary canon or religious education. Instrumentally treated by politicians, the school ceases to educate critical citizens, producing "knowledge functionaries" and promoting conformity instead.
The result of this state of affairs is a massive brain drain. Not only are brilliant minds seeking academic autonomy leaving Poland, but also master craftsmen to whom the system denies prestige. An education system that cannot retain its most talented individuals weakens the foundations of the state. To regain agency, Polish schools must move beyond tribal divisions and reintegrate upbringing with instruction, drawing inspiration from classical and non-European models of human formation.
Summary
Contemporary disputes over education are, in essence, a struggle for the nation's soul and the future of the state. Can we create a system that not only educates minds but also builds a community? Repairing Polish schools requires a non-partisan consensus and the recognition that education is the foundation of a community's existence, not a tool for social engineering. If we fail to protect the youth from being reduced to passive spectators of political theater, the talent of young Poles will remain merely an export commodity, and paideia an unfulfilled ideal.
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