The ‘End’ of Education: Rediscovering our Humanity

Abstract

This study reflects on the purpose (“end” or telos) of education in light of recent Catholic teaching and the growing influence of artificial intelligence. Drawing particularly on Antiqua et nova and Gravissimum educationis, it argues that authentic education must remain holistic, cultivating intellectual, moral, spiritual, and relational dimensions of the human person. While AI can serve as a useful tool, excessive reliance on it risks weakening human intellect, agency, conscience, and ultimately spiritual life. The paper identifies two major challenges: safeguarding human personhood amid technological anthropomorphism and preserving the formative value of human work and intellectual effort. It concludes that education must prioritize human excellence, virtue, and the recognition of humanity’s transcendent destiny rather than mere productivity or technological efficiency.