Plato the Western Thinker

1. Western Thinker
– PLATO
Submitted by
ASHA A M
No. 26
Physical science

2. Western Thinker – Plato
Life Sketch
Plato was born in Athens. He was a scholar as well as a sports
man. He was a disciple of Socrates for nearly ten years. It is
strange to find an aristocrat like Plato learning at the feet of
Socrates who was a poor sculpture’s son. Socrates death made
him go out of Greece and wander in different countries. He
came back to Greece at the age of 40 and opened a school
called “Academy”. Academy provided all provisions for the
study of all subjects that would make one good citizen.
Main Publications
• The Republic
• The Laws
• Protagoras
• Symposium
Plato’s Philosophy
• Plato was an idealist. He believed in the world of ideas
and not in the world of objects.
• The world of ideas was considered as eternal ad
unbounded – a world of mind and abstraction.
• The world of objects was thought of as transitory – a
world of unreal shadows.

3. Educational Philosophy
• Education should aim at the achievement of the absolutes
– beauty, goodness and truth. It should give to the body
and soul all perfection to which they are susceptible.
• In the Republic he describes an Ideal State that maintains
‘Social Justice’.
• The citizens of this state belong to three classes :
administrators soldiers and farmers. The first two should
be given education and the third one need no education at
all.
• Education aims at the development of the body and the
soul.
• In higher education higher Mathematics, Geometry,
Astronomy, Philosophy, Music and Physical Education
were provided.
• He suggested a method of teaching by which the subject
is presented in an interesting manner.
• Plato was an aristocrat. His ideas about the organization
of the state and of education were not democratic. Many
of these are not valid today.
Eg; His classification of people into administrators, soldiers
and farmers may be compared to the caste system in India.
• His ideal of family is also not acceptable to many
philosophers who believe in objectivity and scientific
analysis.
• For Plato, the family is not an important factor of
education. He believed in the state controlled system of
education.

4. • Plato has not provided education for the shaping of the
heart through art and literature.
Academy
The term ‘Academy’ originated from the name of an olive
garden called Academia, situated near the city of Athens. It is
believed that Academia, a hero of Trojan war, owned this
garden. The youths of Athens, including Plato, used to
assemble in this garden daily to have discourse with Socrates.
Hence Plato named his center of knowledge as 'The
Academy’.
This can be considered as the first University of the west.
Various science and philosophy were taught in that institution.
Those learners who came out of the Academy were called
Academists or Academicians. Aristotle was a student of that
institution.
Chief methods of teaching suggested by Plato
• Plato recommended play method at elementary level.
• Story telling as a method of imparting moral education.
• At higher levels he adopted dialogical method.
• Also used ‘Socratic method’ in teaching which is a
question and answer form of arguing with an ‘expert’ on
one side and a ‘searcher’ on the other.
Specific Roles of Teachers
• The teacher should assume the moral responsibility for
the character and conduct of the disciples.

5. • Teachers must provide children with miniature tools of
different trades.
• The teacher stands as a proximate exemplar by guiding
ad directing the learner by ruling out false starts and by
suggesting better ones.
• The teacher should encourage the student to redirect and
rearrange the priorities.
• According to Plato, teacher is like a mid wife, who assist
at the birth of the idea in the mind of the student.
Stage wise curriculum suggested by Plato
Plato named three stages of education:
• Reading and writing
• Physical education
• Secondary or literary education
Reading and writing
In this stage children should be taught through music, play,
physical work, geometrical exercises: this should be done
when children are at the age of six. The major aim of this
stage is to promote culture and right living by exposing the
child to the proper kind of environment and atmosphere
through play, music, discussion and criticism.
Physical education

6. In this stage Plato was thinking more of military training
rather than mere athletic training. This stage starts from 18th
to
20th
year. It helped to build healthy bodies.
Other purpose of training was to give them stability in
judgement. They were supposed to get physical strength,
courage and a philosophical temperament. They should have a
self control, self discipline and they must show wisdom. They
could be able to care for laws and customs. The general
purpose of this stage of education – to train both character and
moral and aesthetic judgement.
Secondary or literary education
This is the study of the works of poets. Greeks didn’thave a
Bible, the poets were the sources of theology and morals.
Poets must be suitable for the intended purpose, that is to
teach morality. Plato was afraid tht unsuitable poetry could
misrepresent God who is perfect.
Contributions of Plato to education
• Plato was the first educationist to emphasize the
harmonious development of personality as the aim of
education.
• He set social and national goals of education further on
individual goals.
• He was the first to lay stress on inculcating the values of
good citizenship through education.
• Plato was the first man to present a theory of education.
• He attached great importance to moral training.

7. • He proposed a comprehensive scheme of education.
• Plato proposed a sequential order of learning different
subjects corresponding to the development of human
cognitive abilities.
• Helped in the phenomenal development of mathematics.
• Plato was the first educationist who argued for gender
equality in education.
• He formulated specific curriculum for specific stages of
human development.
• Plato’s Republic contains higher level of discourses on
education. It is considered as the finest treatise on
education ever written.