The Reform of Education

Originally delivered as a series of lectures to teachers newly incorporated into Italy after Trieste’s annexation, this work offers a thoughtful invitation to reconsider the purpose of schooling. The author, a noted philosopher, reshapes the material for a wider audience, presenting ideas that speak to educators anywhere who grapple with the link between knowledge and civic identity. Though rooted in early twentieth‑century debates, the arguments remain strikingly relevant to contemporary concerns about the aims of education.

The book moves through a series of interconnected themes: the ties between education and nationality, the formation of personality, and the tension between realism and idealism in cultural thought. It argues that true schooling must transcend mere technical training, aiming instead at the spiritual development of the individual and the unity of the whole community. Readers are invited to reflect on how curricula can nurture both character and critical thinking without sacrificing the deeper values that give culture its coherence.