Excerpt from The Republic of Plato: With Studies for Teachers
The Republic of Plato is in one respect like the Bible. Both books have a wisdom reserved for the wise, but also a wisdom open to all. The aim of this manual is, not to exploit the whole significance of Plato, but to direct the attention of teachers to some of his simple and central thoughts about education and about life. About life - for life, individual and social, is the subject of the Republic. Education is considered not as a thing by itself or for itself, but as part of life. For this reason one who wishes to study Plato"s views on education, should not pick out the parts that deal directly with education, ignoring the rest. The rest is Plato"s view of life, for which education exists, and by which education is altogether determined. One should first see his picture of the good man, and of the good State. Then one can see in his discussion of education, how such a man, and such a State are to be developed.
Two objections to Plato"s views are common. The first is that his ideal cannot be realized. He answers this in Book V. 472. One may add that Christ"s ideal is nowhere realized. We need ideals which cannot be realized until the millennium. The second objection is that his ideal is imperfect, that it involves immoral elements and that it is hostile to democracy in government and in education. True or partly true. Our Christian democratic ideal is, we believe, higher than that of Plato. Pity if it were not.
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