Expository Essay

Expository Essay: Education of the young according to Plato Student’s Name Institution of Affiliation Course Instructor Name Date Expository Essay: Education of the young according to Plato Education in Plato's Republic is a key segment of an ideal state. It fosters righteous citizens who contribute to the smooth functioning of the state. Aberlon uses the term "training" to signify a system of education that targets citizens' intellectual, moral, and physical aspects. The current essay investigates the education Plato wanted in the young, examining the dialog’s constitution and goals. Education for creating justice and the rights of citizens To Plato, the education system is necessary to maintain a proper society. Instead, he sees it not as an instrument to inculcate knowledge but as a molding of the soul that leads man to the right path, the path to the Good. To Socrates, education is attending to the rational part of the soul to tame the spirited and the appetitive part to lead orderly lives (Book IV). This correlates with the social hierarchy Plato derived; thus, every class, the rulers, the auxiliaries, and the producers perform their tasks. Plato's opinion on this particular matter is that education should be a means that is aimed at helping people distinguish the good and then aspire to it since the good is equal to truth and the origin of all sorts of knowledge. This process is well described and explained through the example of the cave allegory (Book VII). People are climbing out of the 'cave of ignorance towards the light of knowledge,' which illustrates the educator's job. Curriculum and Stages of Education According to Plato, education must be given in stages related to the correct stages of human development. In the olden days, learning starts with narration, singing, and gymnastics for young children. Plato then goes on to explain how they should only listen to stories that are good for them. For example, he wants to ban myths and poetry in which the gods and heroes are shown engaging in immoral behaviors because the former believes these will pollute the young people. Instead, such stories should motivate such values as courage, temperance, and pie...