Abstract

The current and future well-being of children is a central concern of parents and teachers. It is therefore not surprising that philosophers of education have analysed aspects of and developed theories about upbringing in families and education in schools or similar institutions in light of the well-being of children.This chapter begins with an explication of three clusters of theories of well-being, i.e. subjective, objective and mixed theories of well-being. Using these clusters, proposals of philosophers about the upbringing of children by parents and the education by teachers are described and evaluated, also with reference to various points of critique of philosophers of education. I first focus on well-being as an aim of education, exploring the characteristics of an adult who has well-being and addressing the question how education can contribute to the realisation of well-being of future adults. Then I look into ideas about the well-being of children when they are children, beginning with a description of ‘childhood well-being’. The chapter ends with the possible role of the state in fostering the well-being of children.