Plato

4 Pages 993 Words

Plato believed that education of the guardian starts in the early childhood. "Don’t you know that the beginning is the most important part of every work and that this is especially so with anything young and tender? For at that stage it’s most plastic, and each thing assimilates itself to the model whose stamp anyone wishes to give to it" (377 b).

He then proposes children must learn speech or logic (376 d), gymnastic and music (376 e). American elementary schools implement his ideas by teaching reading and writing for logic exercise, physical education and athletics for gymnastic, and specialist session for learning music. For reading, or storytelling for preliterate children, Plato suggests telling stories that enlighten children about the good values – in this case justice in the society – so they will not be contaminated with lies and injustice. For example, children should learn about the history of America, the biography of American founding fathers, and the values that the United States of America is based upon, such as patriotism, freedom, and justice. Considering Plato’s suggestion, we should not allow children to listen to or to read stories about sexual scandals and other misconduct among politicians in the higher public offices.

Plato recommends it is equally good for children to learn divine aspects about God. He insisted that the God’s works were just and good (380 b), and the God and what belongs to the God are in every way the best condition (381 b). He disagrees to any effort to tell children about God as wizard, God as a high-tempered figure, or even about the thoughts that God is a liar. Plato criticized poems, tales and stories that undermined God. It seems that Plato believed in God. It is difficult to implement Plato’s ideas about teaching about God’s existence in American public schools because religion is not part of the subject matter. In fact, it is prohibited by the Constitution. Educator...