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Chapter 1 2 1.1 I NTRODUCTION The aim of this dissertation is to investigate contemporary educational theories that propose human flourishing as an ideal, overarching aim of education. These theories defend that education should be seen (also) as a means to contribute to a child’s (chances of a) flourishing life, and that schools and parents should equip children to have the best chance of a flourishing life. Human flourishing, in a broad sense, refers to living an optimal life, in which people are free (enough) to make their own choices, fill their time with meaningful and successful activities and relationships, and feel happy or satisfied with that. 1 Prominent advocates of flourishing as an ideal aim of education in the domain of philosophy of education are John White, Kristján Kristjánsson, Harry Brighouse, and Doret de Ruyter. For example Harry Brighouse argues that ‘school should see itself as having an obligation to facilitate the long-term flourishing of children’. 2 And John White argues in his book Exploring well-being in schools : If we want to base education on well-being, what parents do should be first on our agenda. Good parents have their children’s flourishing at heart – not just in the future, but now, in the games they play with them, the outings they arrange, the intimacies in which they live together. 3 Sometimes the concept of flourishing is primarily used as a justification of a certain type of education; for example Daniel DeNicola argues in favour of liberal education, because that will contribute to having flourishing lives, and in her book Not for profit Martha Nussbaum argues that ‘democracies need the humanities’, because such education will contribute to children having flourishing lives. 4 In these cases, a particular conception of the good life (liberal, democratic) is assumed. The term flourishing is also much used in theories of positive psychology. Positive psychologists, such as its ‘founding fathers’ Martin Seligman and Mihalyi Csikzentmihalyi, argue for a radical change in what should be the most important aim of psychology. In addition to, or perhaps even instead of, asking how to improve dysfunctional behaviour, they argue, psychology 1 Cf. White 2011. 2 Brighouse 2006, p. 42. 3 White 2011, p. 3. 4 DeNicola 2012; Nussbaum 2010.