At the Greek Source of European Culture – Παιδεία. An Outline of the Philosophical Premises of Selected Concepts of Paideia from the Greek Classical Period. Part 1: The Concept of Paideia in the Thought of Protagoras

The following study is an attempt to grasp the philosophical premises and/or implications of selected concepts of culture functioning in Greece during the Classical Period – concepts which greatly contributed to the development of European culture. In order to achieve this, we accept the position of Werner Jaeger (the author of "Paideia", a fundamental work devoted to the shaping of ancient Greek culture), according to which the Greeks passed on their understanding of culture and the richness of forms in which it was expressed to mankind “in the form of a paideia.” In it, they enclosed the core of their spiritual achievements in this area. They did this: a) in the sphere of theoretical, especially literary and philosophical, reflection on the essence of the Greek concept of culture, or education2 (pol. wychowanie) and its goal, namely the proper “shaping” of the human being – his spirit and his body; as well as b) in the area of variously articulated educational practice, which was a practical application of this varied reflection.