Analysis of Plato's Educational System: Exploring Its Philosophy

As a philosopher, Plato had a great influence on the education system through his ideas on justice and education. He was a student of Socrates whose ideas influenced much of his work, especially in the dialogue of The Republic. This work focused on discussion of justice where he also examined his theory of education. Plato believed justice and education are connected and that without education, there will be no justice. However, Plato’s theory is systematic and concludes that education is for the ruling class, making it difficult for those of lower classes to attain education and therefore justice.

Plato defines justice as the highest social good and an ideal to aspire to. An individual achieves justice when the three parts of the soul work together in harmony, fulfilling one’s role. Not only does justice apply to the individual, but it also applies to society as each class and individual has a specific set of duties and obligations to the community which, if fulfilled, will result in a harmonious society. In Plato’s ideal society, there are three main classes of people which are the third class, auxiliaries, and rulers who exercise ultimate authority. Auxiliaries perform military and executive duties under direction of the Rulers while the third class undertakes other forms of work that keep society going such as cooking and construction. Each class performs its appropriate and specific function in balance to efficiently run society.

Similar to the three classes of society, the soul exists in three parts or elements which represent justice in the individual. These elements are appetite, spirit and reason. These three elements are present in all of us, but typically one element is dominant. In a just person, the three parts of the soul can achieve a harmonious relationship, while destroying the harmony is considered unjust and unwise. A possible idea proposed by many is that each of the three classes of society is dominated by each of the three parts of the soul. The third class are dominated by the appetitive part of the soul, the auxiliaries by the spirited part, and most importantly, the rulers are dominated by the rational part. Justice for the society can be achieved if each class performs their function they are best suited to perform, without interfering with the roles of others.

In order to establish a just system, Plato believes we need to be taught morality. A just system can only be upheld when individuals are morally educated enough to uphold it. Plato believes moral education supports a just society and should be in place both when children are young, but also sustained until the child reaches adulthood. By instilling moral virtues in society’s youth, the society can assure a just future. In the Republic, Plato outlines teaching methods to help students develop moral virtues. Using a Socratic method, which is based on asking and answering questions, can be used by teachers to help students understand the complexity of moral reasoning and choices. Using this method when addressing moral problems can support students in critical thinking and coming to their own conclusions regarding the implications of individual actions and solutions to these. Since there are no right answers to these kinds of questions, students would not be forced to conform to a set of standards. Instead, they would be encouraged to think philosophically, using their own minds through open discussion. Plato believes that only those who are truly educated can uphold moral virtues and establish a just society. As with any concept, one cannot become an expert without thorough study and applied practice, which also applies to morality. Moral virtues must be openly taught, discussed and practiced to be ingrained into individuals for life.

In Plato’s ideal society everyone knows their role and has a role to play which seems beneficial in effectively running society. However, it is unlikely that Plato’s system would work with modern society because it is very segregated and doesn’t consider emotion and human nature. Today we see education as a tool to set children up with the skills and qualifications to acquire good employment in the real world whereas Plato valued cultural subjects. Plato developed the mind, body and character while we tend to only focus on intelligence of the mind. His education program was very specific, and subjects were carefully selected which is similar to our universities today as constancy creates balance. In our society today, the theme of justice is still relevant but isn’t valued as much as it was in Plato’s time. Plato thought justice was the most important thing to educate on, but currently equality seems to be the main focus in schools and universities as many papers and subjects are concerned with catering for diversity. Perhaps equality and justice have a similar meaning and unknowingly we are enforcing parts of Plato’s education system. Plato strongly encouraged a state-controlled education system that pursues the general aims of society which are to maintain both justice and peace. He recognized that education is the gateway into achieving a just society. This education system provides a foundation for Plato’s ideal just state to be achieved and gives everyone the opportunity for a just life. In our current society, we have not yet achieved justice for all like Plato did in ancient Greece because the different types of governing keep an imbalance of power or have an agenda that prevents justice to evolve. Our schools are very constructed in their purpose and because we seem to be so far down the current road we are on, perhaps it would be seen that going back to square one is a leap backwards. Schools are essentially a micro-society and it is important that education responds to the injustice still present in the world today. If we are teaching youth the right things about empathy and other positive attributes, this would help with the issue of injustice.

Because education is applied to whole populations, justice can also be applied to whole populations and eventually achieved once generations make their way through the system. Plato believes social justice can be achieved when all three social classes in a society exist in a harmonious relationship. Rather than treating individuals as isolated entities, Plato sees them as a part of the state. People can easily exist in harmony when society gives them equal educational opportunities from an early age to compete fairly with each other. Without equal educational opportunity, an unjust society appears because the political system becomes run by unqualified people. For example, education in East Asian countries has contributed to economically developing their societies. However, education in these countries has its own problems. The college entrance examination in countries such as Japan and Korea caused serious social injustices and problems including unequal educational opportunity and financial burden on parents. To achieve justice, modern society needs to utilize Plato's theory of education to provide a vision to solve those problems in education.

Plato’s influence on the history of Western thought has been significant. His theories and ideas on justice, social organization and education have been discussed and debated over the centuries and continue to have relevance in our society today. We can use these ideas Plato speaks of in The Republic to consider how we can adjust our current education system to better achieve a just society. Just individuals are needed for a just society, so we must think about not only the student, but also the student’s greater role in the world.

Education through Plato’s system for all three classes begins the same and as individuals pass or fail the examinations, this determines whether they progress to the next class. Those who complete the entire education process become rulers as their minds are the most developed to make wise decisions for a just society. The auxiliaries serve as soldiers for security to defend society, while the third-class maintain the economic structure of the state through pursuing jobs such as farmers and artisans. Plato believed education must begin at an early age and offered to all without discrimination. His system was regulated and refined as he thought this was necessary effectively educate children. Elementary education in Plato’s system lasted for 10 years where physical education was primarily taught. Every school had to have a gymnasium and playground to develop children’s physique and health to make them resistant to disease. Plato also recommended teaching music, mathematics, history and science. These subjects had to be taught in a gentle manner and must not be forced on children because Plato believed knowledge acquired under pressure has no hold on the mind. He believed that education must be made enjoyable rather than forced to enable the teacher to understand the mind of the child. Higher education begun at the age of 20 for those who passed the examination. Those who failed became the third-class while those who passed received another 10 years of education in subjects like arithmetic, astronomy, geometry and dialectics. At the age of 30, students took a difficult examination where those who failed became the auxiliary class. Plato assigned students their class based on their capabilities. Those who passed the examination received another 5 years of education in dialectics as well as another 15 years practical experience in dialectics. At the age of 50, those who made it through Plato’s process of education were given the responsibility to governing their country and its people. With the rulers serving the society in its best interests, the ideal state would be realized, and its people as well as society would be just.