Politics and Democracy in the Nigerian Philosophy of Education

Abstract

The paper examines the concepts of philosophy, politics and education. It also delineates the meaning of political democracy, tracing it historically to ancient Greece by pointing out that in ancient Greece, to be a citizen was to be ready to be involved, through service to the state. In addition, the paper examined nine principles necessary for the survival of political democracy. Finally, the paper discusses democratic education and its relationship to Nigerian philosophy of Education. It is argued that a democratic state can survive without all the citizens being formally educated, hence that universal education, though a lofty ideal, for various reasons, is not a desiderata for a political democracy.