Aristotle believes that the education corresponding to the three components of the soul is physical education, moral education, intellectual education and aesthetic education. Only through this multi-faceted education can children's body and mind develop harmoniously. When Aristotle carried out this kind of harmonious education, he proposed that children should be divided into stages, emphasizing the natural order of children's development.
In the history of western education, Aristotle was the first educator who clearly put forward that children's age should be divided into stages and emphasized that education should follow the natural development order of children.
Aristotle believes that the basic characteristic of human beings is rationality. Only by making full use of and developing rationality can people truly realize themselves. The fundamental purpose of human education should be to fully develop human rationality, which is the education that free people should receive, that is, free education. Its fundamental purpose is not to prepare for a career, but to promote the development of people's advanced ability and rationality.
The implementation of free education requires two basic conditions: one is leisure. Only when a free man doesn't have to work hard for his livelihood and has enough leisure time can he concentrate on meditation and use reason for the development of his mind; Second, free subjects, only free subjects without any utilitarian purpose are the knowledge that free people should learn, including reading, writing, arithmetic, gymnastics and philosophy.