Plato's Ideas on Education

PLATO

Introduction:

Plato was the most famous Greek philosopher. He was born in Athens, in a noble family. He was the pupil of great thinker Socrates and the teacher of Aristotle, the great scientist and thinker, Plato was considered the world renowned philosopher. His thinking was influenced by people from generation to generation.

History of life:

Plato worked a lot and attached greatest importance to the subject of education. In the Republic he compares it with war, the conduct of campaign and the administration of states and counts it as amongst the greatest and most beautiful subject. In this Plato has dealt with education in detail. Although, the Greek old education resulted in a brilliant period of personal achievement and national progress. Plato thinks that this new bond was to be found in ideas, in universal truth and in intelligence through which men were united by nature. Plato considered education is the welfare of both individual and society.

Stages:

Plato has described different stages of life and has prescribed proper education for these periods. For him education cannot begin in the age of seven. Before this age children should stay with their mothers or nurses and can be educated with their company. The adult should tell them good moral tales to have good impression on their mind up to the age of six children of both the sexes may be play together but after this age they should be separated.

The second stage prolong until the age of seventeen. According to Plato it should comprise music & gymnasium, sport and games were considered important for the physical and mental development.

The third stage is meant for cadetship. For three years after the completion of the early education, it is from seventeen to twenty years of age the young ones are brought to the field of battles and like young hounds have a taste of blood given them.

The fourth stage is from twenty to thirty years of age, for the training at this stage the choice characters are selected. They have to undergo the mathematical training. This training continued for ten years and at the age of thirty another enumerated that qualities required in an individual for higher education. He said that preference should be given to the bravest and if possible to the fairest and having noble and generous temper, they should have the natural gifts which will facilitate their education. He further said that a good memory and quick to learn, noble, gracious the friend of truth, justice, courage, temperature, magnificence, apprehension and memory.

The fifth stage consists of five years, i.e. from thirty to thirty five years of age. Plato deliberately with holds the study of diabetic at this age, because one has to be mature enough to carry on the study in diabetic. This study is to be prosecuted for five years, every other pursuit being resigned for it.

At the six stages, i.e. from thirty five years of age, one is ready as a philosopher or ruler, to return to practical life to take the command in war and hold such offices of state as young man.

After this age of fifty the lives are to be spent in contemplation of ‘the good’. When they are called upon to regulate the affairs of the state, their knowledge of dialectic enables them to mould the lives of individual as their own. They were supposed to make philosopher as their chief pursuit. They were called upon to participate in politics and rule for the good of the people as the matter of their duty.

Conclusion:

Thus Plato was considered one of the most renowned philosophers, educator and thinker. He makes aware of education to people from generation to generation. He gives universally valid examples. Thus the system of education presented by Plato makes the individual mentally & physically developed & his work are the corner stone’s in their respective field.