Aristotle:

Aristotle was first of all a great philosopher. Although he was a student of Plato, he abandoned the idealist views held by his teacher. . Plato believed that ideas are prototypes of physical objects and exist independently without relying on physical objects. Aristotle believed that the real world is composed of various things that are harmonious in form and material. "Material" is the material from which things are composed, and "form" is the individual characteristics of each thing. Just like there is a chicken flying around with its wings fluttering. The "form" of this chicken is that it can flutter its wings, coo, lay eggs, etc. When the chicken dies, the "form" ceases to exist and the only thing left is the matter of the chicken. Plato asserted that the senses could not be the source of true knowledge. Aristotle believed that knowledge originated from feeling. These ideas already contain some materialistic elements. Aristotle, like Plato, believed that rational plans and purposes were the guiding principles of all natural processes. However, Aristotle's views on causality are richer than Plato's, because he accepted some views on this issue from the ancient Greek period. He pointed out that there are four main types of causes. The first is material cause, which is the main substance that forms objects. The second is the formal cause, which is the design pattern and shape given to the primary substance. The third type is efficient cause, which is the mechanism and role provided to realize this type of design. The fourth type is the final cause, which is the purpose for which the object is designed. For example, the pottery's clay provides the pottery with its material cause, while the design of the pottery is its formal cause, the potter's wheel and hands are the efficient cause, and the design purpose of the pottery is the final cause. . Aristotle himself focused on the formal cause and final cause of objects. He believed that formal causes are contained in all natural objects and effects. These formal causes are latent at first, but once the object or living thing develops, these formal causes become apparent. Finally, the object or organism reaches the completion stage, and its finished products are used to achieve the purpose of the original design, that is, to serve the final cause. He also believed that in concrete things, there is no form without matter, and there is no formless matter. The process of combining matter and form is the movement of transforming potential into reality. This theory expresses the idea of ??spontaneous dialectics.

Aristotle's greatest contribution to philosophy is the creation of the important branch of formal logic. Logical thinking is the pillar on which Aristotle achieved excellence in many fields. This way of thinking runs through his research, statistics and thinking from beginning to end. Of course, he made mistakes, but they were few and far between.

Aristotle believed that the development of reason was the ultimate goal of education, and advocated that the state should provide fair education to the children of slave owners. So that their body, virtue and wisdom can develop harmoniously. In terms of teaching methods, Aristotle valued the role of exercise and practice. For example, in music teaching, he often arranges for children to perform on stage, experience it on the spot, become proficient in techniques, and improve their level. In terms of teacher-student relationship, Aristotle did not just obey his mentor and be submissive, but he dared to think, adhere to the truth, and have the courage to challenge on the basis of inheritance. His character of "I love my teacher, and I especially love the truth" inspired him to advance the teaching theory established by Plato to a higher level.

Aristotle’s teaching thoughts are based on his theory of human nature, epistemology and his examination of children’s physical and mental development. He divided the human soul into two parts, one is the irrational soul, whose functions are instinct, feeling, desire, etc.; the other is the rational soul, whose functions are thinking, understanding, knowledge, etc. He believed that in the process of human cognition, the main functions of the soul are feeling and thinking. The soul perceives external things with the help of sensory organs, and what is sensed is independent of human will, thus recognizing the status and role of sensation in the process of cognition. However, he also believes that feeling only plays an inducing role here, and truth and knowledge can only be obtained through rational thinking. The purpose of Aristotle's teaching, therefore, is to develop the reason of the higher part of the soul.

Aristotle established an "encyclopedic" curriculum for his philosophy school. He advocates the all-round development of students in moral, intellectual, physical, aesthetic and other aspects, with different emphasis at different times. In early childhood, physical development (sports) is the main focus; in adolescence, music education is the core, with morality, intelligence, and beauty as the main content; in senior grades, grammar, rhetoric, poetry, literature, philosophy, ethics, politics, and arithmetic are studied , geometry, astronomy, music and other subjects. But no matter what, the focus should be on developing students’ intelligence. He particularly emphasized the role of music in cultivating children's general cultivation. It is believed that music has three functions: entertainment, cultivating temperament, and cultivating rationality. It can relieve fatigue, refine the mind, shape character, stir up the soul, and then enter a rational and noble moral realm through meditation. In physical education, he disagrees with teachers who only allow students to undergo harsh or even painful training. He wants to teach "simple gymnastics" and "light martial arts" and focus on the normal development of children's bodies.