Oltre la norma, dentro la persona. Educazione come arte, educazione come regola

Abstract

This paper explores the complexity of education through a perspective that recognises its ambivalent nature as both art and rule. Employing the metaphor of a work of art, it emphasises how education is a creative, unique, and multifaceted process that involves the subjectivity and holistic development of the person across time and space. Concurrently, it examines the normative dimension of education, where the balance between the learner’s freedom and the teacher’s authority forms the foundation for meaningful and responsible learning. The discussion further delves into the concept of educational freedom, understood not as the absence of rules but as a dynamic equilibrium between personal autonomy and social responsibility, situated within a complex and evolving historical-cultural context. Lastly, the pivotal role of the educator is highlighted as a mediator of freedom, capable of guiding the formation process creatively and critically, acknowledging the plurality and complexity of human experience, and fostering a pedagogy that reconciles rigor with innovation, discipline with liberty.