The word education is derived from Latin, from two related yet distinct verbs that reveal its dual purpose. The first, educĕre, formed from ē- (a variant of ēx, meaning “out”) plus ducere (“to lead” or “to draw forth”), conveys the idea of leading something out from within. Education, in this sense, is not the filling of a vessel but the drawing out of what already resides within: the learner’s curiosity, sense of wonder, and capacity for virtue. The second, educāre, comes from...

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