These fundamentals are necessary, but they are neither the end of true education, nor do they result in lasting happiness. The philosophy of education at its lowest is based upon John Locke's idea of the mind as a tabula rasa, a blank slate or empty container waiting to be filled up with facts and information. One step above the tabula rasa theory is the view that, instead of filling up an empty tank, the purpose of education is to train people in specific techniques. This is no doubt a valuable skill, but without a still higher reward, it's just a variation on the theme of consumption. In other words, the end of education is to develop passion and love for all that is fine, and in this sense learning becomes a pleasurable activity.
Humanity is the love that extends through the universe as manifested in man.
Traditionally, this soul-making opus has been placed under the patronage of the three Graces, the three beautiful sisters who are the attendants of Aphrodite, perpetually entwined in their circular dance. According to Seneca, the three Graces represent the powers of giving, accepting, and returning thanks. Later, in the Renaissance, the three Graces become a potent cosmological symbol, and appear as such in Botticelli's Primavera and many other works. Marsilio Ficino described the universe as a circle of divine love, in which humanity plays a central part. And so one and the same circle from God to the World and from the World to God is called by three names.