Art as the Foundation of Educating a Free Individual

The letters on aesthetic education by the great German poet and playwright of the 18th century, Friedrich Schiller, were not published in Russia for 50 years. Three generations of our teachers grew up without knowing the aesthetic works of this master of words. And yet he is the one who drew the attention of the educated public to the fact that without turning to high art, it is impossible to develop a virtuous and happy person. Schiller developed such an unexpected pedagogical method as education through beauty, emphasizing the importance of seeing and understanding beauty, whether it manifests in people's actions, nature, or the fruits of creative labor. In his view, it is beauty that, coming into every school and every lesson, can shape children's souls harmoniously. A poet and thinker, he was the first to point out the necessity of a state approach to the aesthetic education of individuals. All this and more can be found in the book Anthology of Humane Pedagogy.