AIMS OF EDUCATION

Man becomes resourceful through knowledge. Socrates said that “one who had true knowledge could not be other than virtuous”. Knowledge is sine qua non for every spheres of human life—physical, social, moral, spiritual and economic. Great philosophers Socrates, Aristotle, Dante, Comenim, Bacon have propounded knowledge as an important aim of education.

In the narrow sense, knowledge aim implies “Knowledge for the sake of knowledge”. In its wider sense, it means development of mental powers-thinking, reasoning, discrimination, judgement, memory, problem solving, imagination, intelligence etc. True knowledge consists in possessing ideas of universal validity and universal relevance.

In other words, knowledge and wisdom must be for the good of the greatest number. Further, knowledge acquisition should not be considered as an end in itself. Rather it should be a means to other ends—individual development, civil efficiency, economic competency, living a richer and healthy life, welfare of the humanity, etc.

Thus, reception and utilization of knowledge is essential element in knowledge aim of education.