浅析柏拉图的教育思想

The Study on Plato’s Thoughts of Education 浅析柏拉图的教育思想

院系:英语学院

班级: T 0801

姓名:赵芸祺

学号:2101080409

Abstract:Plato's educational thought is profound. Plato is the first person to systematically probe the theory of moral education and then put it into practice in the Western educational history. There are abundant thoughts about moral education in his masterpiece. And its systematic and comprehensive educational theory has had unprecedented influence in world history of education. By explaining the foundation, the central idea, the goal and focal point of moral education profoundly and systematically, Plato has presented a realistic enlightenment for this field. Plato does believe that education should begin early, emphasizing the function of moral education and soul sublimation in guiding the students to use dialectics to achieve perfection. His thoughts include almost every stage from per-primary education to higher education. And this system of education, as it were, contains exhaustible source of ideas. So the Plato’s thoughts have the profound influence in modern education system, and the reform of education, although he didn’t know the present situation of education at that time.

Key Words: Plato; educational thoughts; Republic;

The Study on Plato’s Thoughts of Education

Introductory:Plato (BC427—BC347) was a very important classical Greek philosopher. He was a student of Socrates and the teacher of Aristotle. Plato is the first educator that explains systematically the educational thoughts in Western History of Education. His thoughts include almost every stage from per-primary education to higher education. And this system of education, as it were, contains exhaustible source of ideas. So for us, it is one of the great heritages in education. As Karl Raimund Popper has said,“The influence of Plato's works (either good or bad) are inestimable. People can say that western thoughts, or Plato, or is opposite of Plato, at any time not desperate to Plato.”Plato wrote his book, Republic, in the form of dialogues -- people talking about ideas, and sometimes disagreeing about them.

1.The Educational Thoughts in Republic

1.1 The Thought of Education for the Country

Plato is not only an educator on study, but also a man who always concerned with the state’s fate and development of human beings. He knows a country which do not emphasize will have no future. So he is the first thinker who is aware of this, and tries to combine the education and policy together in the Western History of Education. Plato thinks the ruler of the country must take care of the interest of the country, and protect the interest of the people. Such ruler is educated by the country, and then he is loyal to the country and the people. After that, the ruler governs their country with education. So Plato thinks the education as the essential means which maintain the order of Republic. Accordingly, the ruler should set up a policy about the education, provide funding for education, and establish the public educational organization from the from per-primary education to higher education.

Education is the biggest thing of the country, Plato thinks. His aim is that to establish a Republic and set up a country of Justice by education. Based on this, he makes the main goal of the education that nurturing a man who loves study and the truth, as a ruler for the Republic; training the people who are honesty, integrity and high moral ethics, to protect the country and the people. Besides, given a good education, the people become understanding. The country becomes peaceful and friendly. From this, it can be seen that the law just only control the country by the force, but the education can develop the country by the ethics. So the education is the foundation in governing a country. He says that those who are stronger in any

society—the rulers—control education and socialization through legislation and enforcement.

1.2 The Educational Thought of Reason

The educational thought of reason is highest stage to develop the education by Plato. He thinks that there are reason, passion and desire in the heart of people. The reason means people use it for thinking, reasoning and studying. It is the most important part in humans’heart. And this makes the differences between human beings and animals. As for the passion, that means people express the emotion. Actually, there is some relationship between the passion and the desire. But the passion is better than the desire. So if the affection doesn’t ruin the education, this kind of the passion belongs to the reason. And the desire is the worst part in the heart. There is no reason, just the physical needs and the desire of sex and so on.

The education of reason is a process of combining the conceptual knowledge and the psychic ability. On Plato’s opinion, knowledge is a basis of giving the wisdom to us, and training our thought of the reason, and a foundation of improving the abilities of philosophy of mind and logical thinking, and so on. Of course, knowledge is not enough. People should study the Dialectics. Because the dialectics is a mean of exposing the contradictions in the others’ words to find the truth. That is means from one to the other until to the Good one by the inference. In this way people get the education of reason, understand the truth, and achieve the perfect.

2. The Design of the Education system by Plato

His thoughts include almost every stage from per-primary education to higher education. And this system of education, as it were, contains exhaustible source of ideas. So for us, it is one of the great heritages in education.

2.1 The Stages in Education

The educational practice in Sparta and Athens is a basis of the stages of education of Plato’s. Under the influence of education thoughts, Plato is divided the education of people into several stages. And he explains every stage in educational organizations, educational content, educational means, and the like.

The first is pre-school education. In early childhood, early childhood education plays a decisive role. The education in preschool period paves roads for kids developing good morality and sound mind. And it is the stage of foundation of schooling and the lifelong education. So the pre-school education is the life outset stage, is the life-long education beginning. All of the babies are brought up and

training by the government from the beginning. In the pre-school education, their spirits are influenced by the games, which they take part in. And then, primary education in musical and physical training and elementary mathematics is followed by two or three years of compulsory physical training , ten years of education in the mathematical sciences, five years of training in dialectic, and fifteen years of practical political training. After such education, its recipients are ready to see the good itself and to be philosopher-kings.

2.2 Plato’s Educational thoughts on the overall development

Plato thinks the training drills should be closely related to their talents. He thinks the God divides the people into three classes. A man in which class is decided when he is born. So the talent is very important. But he says if no good education, the high talent is useless. On his opinion, the good education can influence a man more than you think. So to develop the society, the country and the person, Plato advises training the people in all aspect by using the educational thoughts of the overall development. And the overall development means the development in their physics and the mind. The aim of education in the physics is to keep their health, and train them toughness, strength and speed; and in mind, to nurture their soul and cultivate the mind. And then an excellent philosopher-king is trained out.

2.3 The Integrity of the Educational System

In order to make sure the time integrity of education, Plato offers the thought of lifetime education. And in every stage, he points out the concrete requests of education.

2.3.1 Pre-school Education

Before three years old, babies are taken care of the full-time staff in the daily life. The education work can only be performed by fully trained personnel. Three to six aged children are playing in the children’s playground of temples. And the education content includes telling the stories, playing games, studying the music, and like this. Plato thinks this period education is important for the children. So the content of education should stimulate the children’s bravery, justice and the good qualities. As for the games, the means and the content are arranged meticulously. And don’t change them frequently. Otherwise, that will affect their loyalty to the own country and the law, when they grow up.

2.3.2 The General Education

Plato argues that the government should force the children to accept the

education. When the children are six years old, they are segregated in the single sex school to study. Certainly, they can accord their interests or hobbies to choose the different department. In the school, the content is abundant. Such as reading, writing, music, playing the instruments, riding, shooting and so on. The purpose of this stage is development of interest and inner motive. They try to become the children is abstinence in the qualities. When they are sixteen years old, the children of workers or farmers can be a labor in the society. However, the children of slaves have to accept the further education among seventeen to twenty years old. The aim is to improve their will and bravery, and train them to be the army to protect the country. So the physical training is the main content. Certainly, they study the knowledge the army should know, which include the arithmetic, geometry, astronomy and music. After this period of study, a number of children of the slaves finish their study, and become the army to protect the country. And a few of students enter the school to have the further education.

2.3.3 Higher Education

A few of children of the slaves have the opportunity to have the further education. In the ten years, from twenty to thirty years old, they study on the philosophy, dialectics. The purpose of this period of study is different from the army. The army study knowledge for using. But they study to make their thoughts close to the highest thought, the god. Dialectics is the main content. Plato thinks only to master the dialectics, and the students can study other knowledge well. However, it’s not everybody can study the dialectics. Only the adults, who have the abstract thinking abilities, can study it. After finishing this period of study, they can be an officer at high rank. A few of students who are intelligent can go on studying dialectics in next twenty years. They are trained thinking by using reason. This is the last period to study. When they graduated at fifty years old, they can be the rulers of the country, and philosopher-kings. So far, all of the stages of Plato’s education’s aims are done. 3. The Major features of the Educational Thoughts of Plato

We know the Plato’s educational thoughts are profound. But on my opinion, they have two major features.

3.1 The Bright Value Direction of the Education

In all of his thoughts of education, the finial aim is to train a philosopher-king to establish the Republic. So the education is a useful means of ruling the country and controlling the people. In his thoughts, there is the value direction of serving for the

Republic, especially in the educational thoughts for the country and the thoughts in different classes. He says the people should have stronger ability to exercise self-restraint. Because that can make the ruler control the country easily. However, the ruler just need restrain his physical needs, the desire for diet and sex. From this, we can know the different classes have the different aims of the Plato’s thoughts of education. So there is the value direction of educational thoughts of Plato in classes. Certainly, we cannot blame him, owing to the limitation of his time.

3.2 The High Regard to Heuristic

The word of “education” comes from the word of “educare” in Latin. That means “lead to”. So the education means a process which leads to a new man, that is to say giving a new birth in the physics and mind for people. Plato thinks every young man has the truth in their soul. However, the truth was influenced by the material lift. So there need the discussion to lead to the truth. The educational thoughts of Plato are not teaching the knowledge and morality to the students, but leading to the connatural and potential knowledge and morality from the young students. Plato thinks the education is a transform in the mind.

4 Conclusion

Plato is the first person to systematically probe the theory of moral education and then put it into practice in the Western educational history. In his thoughts, the education includes all stages and all aspects from the pre-school education to the higher education. His Republic is an educational Republic. He does not only design a complete educational system, but also design a set of ideal courses to improve the mind. Through this set of study, at last the people can get the knowledge of the truth, the goodness, and love. The Plato’s thoughts have the profound influence in modern education system, and the reform of education, although he didn’t know the present situation of education at that time. So for us, it is one of the great heritages in education.

References

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