The Importance of Education in The Republic by Plato

The great philosopher Plato, speaking through the character of Socrates in his book The Republic, holds the belief that true and good education is what leads civilizations to prosper. Due to this, he is very concerned with the issue of education and how it will be addressed in the state that he and his fellow companions hope to design and build. He talks about how important education is in achieving this idea of justice and morality. Furthermore, I believe that many of the concepts he brings about relating to this subject are still very valid today and can be applied worldwide. Plato believes that education is necessary for the rulers of cities to be effective and that it is the only way to truly understand and achieve the goal of providing and looking out for the citizens of any state. One of the reasons Plato finds education such a necessity and regards it so highly is that it is required to even understand the concept of true justice and being able to distinguish it from injustice . Now although the major point of this book is to establish a meaning for justice, he believes that education is key and it is clear that all the people he associates with in the story are well-educated high members of society. Having knowledge on this subject and many others will allow those that eventually become guardians to tell when something is not just or is at least not beneficial for the well-being of the citizens. Education is also a major factor in understanding the soul and theShow MoreRelatedEssay on Comparing the Republic to the Modern Society831 Words   |  4 Pagesrelevance of The Republic to our modern society In Plato’s The Republic, Plato illustrates what his ideal city would look like. He describes the educational systems, ideal legislators and the purposes of democracy. The republic influenced many people to understand the purpose for democracy, and it led to new philosophical schools of thought. Although this work was written hundreds of years ago, it still affects our modern world today. One of the most important things that Plato stresses is theRead MorePlato s Thoughts On The Ideal Self And Government1686 Words   |  7 PagesCulture I Dr. Simpson Dr. Crow April 8th, 2016 â€Æ' Written in 360BC, the Republic has become Plato’s most famous piece of dialogue. Plato connects the concept of justice to happiness in a variety of fields. Understanding that virtue goes beyond reason we can understand that whilst you can know what is good, you don’t always act good. Through specific ideals of politics intertwined into his analogy of the human soul, Plato explains the ideal government with respect to the nature of a just societyRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book Republic And George Orwell s 1984 Essay1403 Words   |  6 PagesPLS 325 Ancient Political Theory Dr. Shu-Shan Lee First term paper Sagynysh Yeltayeva 25/10/2015 Plato’s â€Å"Republic† and George Orwell’s â€Å"1984†: two sides of one medal Plato’s â€Å"Republic† and Orwell’s â€Å"1984† represent two imaginary engineered societies. â€Å"Republic† is an utopia, in which Plato describes the goal of the city, which is to be as happy as possible, even if it requires a sacrifice of a particular group’s happiness or individual’s one . Orwell’s â€Å"1984† influenced by the outcome of the WorldRead MoreThe Central Tension Within The Republic Of Plato990 Words   |  4 Pagesfrom The Republic of Plato, the central tension within the book is identifying the ideal form of guiding individuals either through a persuasive or compulsive path of becoming complete guardians. Through persuasion, those qualified to rule, similar to Adeimantus and Glaucon, are more adequately educated to lead a city than through compulsion. Within this essay, the defining important principle of persuasion that will be explained are listening, exhortation and dialectic. By examining Plato s understandingRead MorePlato s View On Justice And Human Nature991 Words   |  4 Pageswithin The Republic and Laws on what approach to take. This essay will analyse the possible implications of this on the question of what constitutes an ideal or best state, analyse Plato’s view on justice and human nature, and finally contrast Plato with modern thinkers’ views on the role of conflict within a state. Plato’s Ideal Theory on Conflict To Plato, the soul consists of three parts, of which the rational part is in an eternal struggle to moderate the other two. Likewise, Plato sees theRead MoreEducation: Keeping the Republic Together Essay654 Words   |  3 PagesEducation: Keeping the Republic Together Our world today puts huge amounts of emphasis on education, specifically in order to get a better job, make more money or take enjoyment in what we do. We see a similar importance placed on education in Socrates’ make believe city, as described in Plato’s Republic. However, Socrates has made it clear that this education is not for personal betterment or gain, but rather for the common good. Socrates has created his Republic with education of its citizensRead MoreComparing and Contrasting Platos The Republic and Thomas Mores Utopia590 Words   |  3 PagesThomas More and Plato create their ideal Utopia. A utopia is described as a perfect world. Thomas Moore and Plato have different mentalities when it comes to the selection of an individual’s occupation. Thomas Moore focuses on a Utopia were the work force is strictly determined by the society’s needs while Plato believes that each individual should perform the task that best fits with his or her natural ability. Thomas Mores Utopia has more of a community sense. People are forced to believe thatRead MorePlato s Dialogue, Republic, And The Claims Of The Modern World1556 Words   |  7 Pagesonly to fail or not provide universal answers or solutions. However, there are others who see the importance of philosophers and how they have become to understand aspects of life and human nature before anyone else; Plato is a person who sides with the argument that philosophers play an important role in society. In Plato’s dialogue, Republic, he attempts to discover justice and to convey the importance philosophers possess in ensuring a just society. The main argument that will be addressed in thisRead MoreGodly Education Essay1537 Words   |  7 Pagesprecious and pleasant riches.† Proverbs 24:3, 4 Education is vital in life. If we did not have education, no one would be able to do anything challenging with his or her minds, unless trained by experience. This is what Plato knew thousands of years ago. He knew education produced a balance and harmony of character. This education model is not seen in public education, except in the classical model, which borrowed many of his concepts. This kind of education, however, sought to bring out political menRead MorePlato, in the â€Å"Republic â€Å", ambitiously sets out to prove that art imitates reality by distracting900 Words   |  4 PagesPlato, in the â€Å"Republic â€Å", ambitiously sets out to prove that art imitates reality by distracting us from the truth and appeals to socially destructive emotions. He continued his statement by referring that art provides no real knowledge, and that it undermines personal and social well being. In this paper, I will argue that Plato makes an invalid implicit assumption that the repre sentation of life through arts is dangerous and doesn’t define the truth since it uses imitation. I will demonstrate

The Medicine Wheel (Lakota Sioux) Free Essays

Symbols, such as the medicine wheel, are common among Sioux Indians, especially the Lakota Sioux. The Lakota Sioux believed each section of the medicine wheel had some spiritual significance. To them, the medicine wheel represents enlightenment, growth, strength and knowledge. We will write a custom essay sample on The Medicine Wheel (Lakota Sioux) or any similar topic only for you Order Now Each color on the medicine wheel signifies a different season and lifestyle. Inside the circle is a cross shape. The cross symbolizes the four directions, and also the Four Lakota Virtues. The shape of the wheel represents the never ending circle of life and death. It means the Alpha and the Omega, Beginning and End, and to the Lakota Sioux, represents unity in the Great Spirit. One of the four sacred colors found on the medicine wheel is red. It is located at the top left hand side of the four corners. Red symbolizes several things, including north; this (north) symbolizes the passing of the ancient and ancestors. â€Å"North brings cold harsh winds of the winter season† ( ). This cleansing wind causes the leaves to fall and buries the earth underneath a blanket of snow. Lakota Sioux believed â€Å".. If someone had the ability to face these harsh winds, like the buffalo, they have learned patience and endurance† ( ). The element of the North is Air. Air is movement and†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ freedom – the clearing of thoughts and the carrier that allows us to manifest our dreams† ( ). Air represents the mind. The color red and that section of the wheel also symbolize wisdom. They believed wisdom to be of one of the best qualities, and is usually met in or after death. Red also represents the last part of the lie cycle: afterlife White is the second of the four sacred colors found on the medicine wheel of the Lakota Sioux. It is located at the bottom left corner on the medicine wheel. â€Å"White stands for youth and friendship† ( ). It represents the south. This direction is for warmth and growth since the sun is at its highest peak in the southern sky. â€Å"The sun’s rays are powerful in drawing life from the earth† ( ). The Lakota Sioux believed life of all things come from the south, so this section also represents the second phase of the llie cycle. † The South is where our journey through life begins – with the knowing of self† ( ) Yellow is the third of all the sacred colors found on the medicine wheel. Yellow signifies the east where the sun rises. This brings us the energy of adventure. The Lakota Sioux believed this to symbolize family and newborns. This is also the beginning of a new day and a new understanding of life and people. â€Å"On a deeper level, east stands for the wisdom in helping people live good lives† ( ). This section is located at the bottom right corner of the medicine wheel. The element of the East is Fire. Fire is the radiant energy of transformation. Fire contains the great power of expansion† ( ). They believed this section of life is to help us find innocence and purity. It is a great path among the rode to spirituality. Black is the last color section in the medicine wheel. It is located in the top left hand corner. Black signifies the west, where the sun sets and the day ends. The color is black, not in nothingness, â€Å".. but the black of â€Å"all things†Ã¢â‚¬ ( ). It is the color of mystery and of the unconscious. The Lakota Sioux believed the west the be the source of all water, so this section is vital. The great thunderbird lives in the west and sends thunder and rain from this direction† ( ). Back represents solitude, reflection and growing old. The direction of South was our beginning of knowing who the â€Å"self† is. â€Å"The direction of the West deepens this knowing through dreams and visions of the future† ( ). They believed the element of the West is earth. Earth is passive, receptive and nurturing. A deep connection with earth is needed to bring ourselves into balance with Universe. Black is the second to last part of the life cycle: death. How to cite The Medicine Wheel (Lakota Sioux), Papers

Philosophical Critique of the Contemporary Human Sciences

Question: Describe about the Philosophical Critique of the Contemporary Human Sciences. Answer: Personal Philosophy Teaching can be conducted in various manner and different teachers have different manner of teaching. Thus, the philosophy of teaching includes your personal conception in relation to teaching. The manner of teaching is very important for teaching to be fruitful and genuinely impart knowledge. As a teacher, I follow the principles of Realism in my teaching. Realism in relation to teaching refers to teaching logic and critical thinking along with scientific methods to students which can make students to understand reality in a better way and learn the manner in which one should adapt to various situations (Bhaskar, 2014). School and college experience In my experience of teaching in a college, I had experienced many students facing great difficult with various issues in life and I felt that it was very difficult for some of them to adjust with complex situations. Thus, I felt that teaching the students the principles of realism helped them adjust and adapt to many crisis they faced at a young age. Additionally the philosophy of behaviorism helped me understand their mental state which made me realize the philosophy of realism can be helpful in teaching college students. Behaviorism suggests that the physical and verbal behavior of an individual helps to understand his internal state of mind. Thus, behaviorism can help in teaching immensely which can help teachers to handle each student individually judging their behavior (Staddon, 2014). Personal view Thus, I believe that teaching syllabus is not always enough and as a teacher you need to make your students learn to be practical which can be achieved by following the philosophies of realism and behaviorism. Reference List Bhaskar, R. (2014).The possibility of naturalism: A philosophical critique of the contemporary human sciences. Routledge. Staddon, J. (2014).The new behaviorism. Psychology Press.