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Chapter 3 37 committed to reasoning how one should bring about such change – and whether it is possible, and to what extent, in the actual world. Second, Robeyns argues that there are so-called ‘bad idealisations’ which ignore certain aspects of ‘the human condition’ which are so central to humanity that it is not justified to leave them out. 22 She gives the example of a conception of the person as independent agent. Actual persons are always dependent upon others for care, forming relationships, etc., and this is such a defining aspect of someone’s life that one cannot construe a legitimate theory without taking human interdependency into account. Nonideal theory explicitly aims to not go above and beyond what actual human beings in this world (i.e. the actual world) are capable of, and should therefore be less susceptible to bad idealisations than ideal theory. Mills goes even further in arguing that all ideal theory in fact ‘guarantees’ that the ideal situation will never be reached. 23 He thinks that if theory abstracts away from actual injustices in the actual world, we will drift further away from making the world a better place. Mills distinguishes six types of (bad) idealisations which ideal theory as an approach usually assumes: an idealised ontology , which includes the example of Robeyns of the conception of the person as an independent agent; idealised capacities ; silence on oppression , ideal social institutions , which refers to idealised versions of for example the family, the legal system, etc.; an idealised cognitive sphere , which refers to a kind of social transparency; and finally strict compliance , which basically is the assumption that every inhabitant of the perfect society will participate and cooperate to uphold this society. 24 3.3 R ECENT T HEORY ON E DUCATION FOR F LOURISHING In a (critical) review of recent educational theory on flourishing as an aim of education, Kristján Kristjánsson identifies John White, Harry Brighouse and Doret de Ruyter as prominent advocates of flourishing as an overarching aim of education. 25 According to Kristjánsson, the current flourishing paradigm takes a ‘strength-based approach’, meaning that it focuses on further developing those character strengths that are intrinsically related to/constitutive of flourishing. 26 We will look at the work of these prominent advocates, including Kristjánsson himself, to see what kind of theorising they engage in. 22 Ibid., p. 358. 23 Mills 2005, p. 170. 24 Ibid., pp. 168-169. 25 Kristjánsson 2017, p. 87. 26 Ibid., p. 2.