PLATO
 LIFE OF PLATO, 427-347 B.C.

1. FAMILY BACKGROUND. Plato was born into an aristocratic and wealthy Athenian family. His father traced his ancestry in a direct line back to the early kings of Athens. His mother was the niece of the wealthy nobleman, Critias and the sister of the rich and famous Charmides. Both Critias and Charmides were students of Socrates.

2. YOUTH.

a. His Name. Plato's given name was Aristocles, meaning "the best" and "renowned." He acquired the name of Plato in his youth because of his wide shoulders.

b. Outstanding Accomplishments. He excelled in every area of youthful achievement. He was outstanding in sports, in music and in academics.

c. Military Hero. During the war with Sparta, Plato won the Athenian prize for bravery.

d. Student of Socrates. In 407 B.C., at the age of twenty, Plato became a student of Socrates.

 4. DISILLUSIONMENT WITH DEMOCRACY. In 404 B.C. Plato witnessed the death of his uncle, Critias, during the civil war between the aristocrats and the democrats. Again, in 399 B.C., he witnessed the condemnation and execution of his beloved Socrates by the democratic regime led by Anyutus.

 5. VOLUNTARY EXILE. Plato left his native city immediately following the execution of Socrates. He visited Megara, Cyrene and Egypt. After a brief return to Athens in 395 B.C., Plato continued his wanderings. In Syracuse he was sold into slavery. Plato raised three thousand drachmas through his friends to buy back his freedom. He returned to Athens in 387 B.C.

6.THE ACADEMY. In 386 B.C. Plato purchased a recreation grove dedicated to the god Academus. This became the location of his school.

a. Tuition Free. The students of the Academy paid no set fee. It was expected that wealthier students would give gifts. It is believed that Dionysius II gave as his gift a sum equivalent to about a half-million dollars in American currency.

b. Coeducational. Both men and women were welcome to study at the Academy.

c. Entrance Requirements. The Academy accepted only advanced students who possessed a knowledge of geometry.

d. Curriculum. The course of study included the following subjects:
 

(1) Higher Mathematics (2) Astronomy (3) Music (4) Literature (5) Law (6) History (7) Philosophy.
  e. Teaching Method. Plato lectured, utilizing his vast knowledge to present an organized body of information to his students. He also made use of Socratic discussion by dialogue as a method of scientific investigation and instruction. At times problems would be assigned on an individual basis.   7. LAST YEARS. Plato died around the year 347 B.C. He continued to teach until the end, winning the admiration and love of his students and fellow Athenians.

8. IMPORTANCE. Plato is considered to be one of the most important philosophers of all time. His educational and philosophical theories continue to influence countless thousands. Whitehead, commenting on Plato's contribution to philosophy, said that every philosophy after Plato is but a footnote to Platonic thought.

THE PHILOSOPHY OF PLATO
  PHILOSOPHY. These are some important aspects of Platonic philosophy:

1. METAPHYSICS. Ultimate reality is spiritual in nature. Plato explains in the Timaeus the necessity of postulating a prior idea or form for every material object. For example, the idea of a house must exist before the material shape can take place. Where any house exists, it conforms to the general idea of house.

a. The Nature and Destiny of Man. Man has an individual soul chained to a material body. The soul is liberated at death. In the tenth book of The Republic, Plato states that the Proper purpose of the soul is justice. The just soul will be rewarded by God following death. Suffering in life is the result of the evil one did in a prior existence. After man's death, the soul chooses its future body and destiny. "The gods are blameless."
  2. EPISTEMOLOGY. Platonic epistemology was affected by consideration of: a. Source of Knowledge. Knowledge is a matter of recalling ideas that are innate in the soul.   b. A Priori Truths. All ideas are eternal and true. Man does not know truth through the senses. The senses mislead and deceive man. Ideas are within man's soul. Man need not experience any outward events in order to know. He turns inward, making his life more spiritual and God-like, so that, free of the limitations of the senses, he approaches the spiritual source of knowledge.   c. Rationalism. Each man is able to arrive at innate truths through the use of his reason.   d.Absolute Truth. All truths are eternal and absolute. What is true today will always be true.   e. Test of Truth. Something is known as true when the proposition in the mind is logically consistent with the eternal idea. 3. POLITICS AND ETHICS. Plato believed that justice is the most important virtue. Justice can exist only in a just state. Features of Plato's ideal state are: a. Rule by the Best. The ideal government would be ruled by the men or women who demonstrate ability and aptitude for ruling.

b. Organization of The Just State -Plato's Utopia.
 

(1) The Guardians. The ruling group would be made up of philosopher-kings especially trained for government administration. This group would never marry nor own property.

 (2) The Warriors. A group of warriors would be trained from youth in military skills in order to protect the state.

 (3) The Workers. This group would do all farming and other work necessary to feed the people.
 

  c. Virtue. The proper virtues for each group would include:
  (1) Wisdom. The ruling guardians would have wisdom.

(2) Courage. The warriors would have courage.

(3) Temperance. The workers would have temperance.
 

 d. The Virtuous State. The state would be just when its citizens had wisdom, courage, and temperance. Each citizen would serve the state to the best of his ability. Man would be an organism in the body of the state. The individual would be subordinated to the state.

e. Eugenics. Although Plato would permit friendship between the sexes in his utopia, the procreation of children would be controlled by the government. Through the careful selection of mates, the race would be strengthened by improved children. Only men above the age of thirty and below forty-five, and women above the age of twenty and below forty, would be permitted to have children. Any child born in violation of the state laws would be abandoned outside the walls of the city.

 
THE EDUCATIONAL THEORY OF PLATO
EDUCATION. Major ideas in Platonic educational theory are:

1. EDUCATION FOR ALL. Plato would educate every boy and girl to the limits of their abilities.

2. STATE EDUCATION. All children would be taken from the parents and educated by the state.

3. AIM OF EDUCATION.

a. Civil Servants. To produce future servants of the state.

b. Rulers. To develop virtuous intellectuals among the future rulers.

c. Warriors. To glorify courage and military skill among the warriors.

d. Workers. To develop competent, obedient, and temperate workers.

e.Social Disposition. To develop a social disposition among all citizens.

  f. Discipline. To train the character of each citizen so that he may control his appetites, subordinating the senses to reason.    4. ORGANIZATION AND CURRICULUM. a. Elementary. All boys and girls would be educated together. They would study mathematics, literature, poetry, and music until they were eighteen years of age.   b. Military Training. The next two years of the youth's life would be devoted to physical education alone. Thereafter, the best youths would be selected for the higher education given to future guardians of the state.   c. Higher Education. Between the ages of twenty and thirty-five, the future guardian would receive a higher education to prepare him for ruling the state. His studies would include mathematics, music, and literature. At the age of thirty he would have enough maturity to begin his study of philosophy. At thirty-five, his formal education would cease and he would enter upon a minor administrative position, prior to undertaking more important governing positions.
   5. TEACHING METHOD. Plato recommended making learning as close to play as possible on the elementary levels. Upon the higher levels of education, the student',s reason would be trained in the processes of thinking and abstracting.

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