Plato's Republic

Education in Plato's "Republic"

Education was crucial to the development of Plato's ideal society, because Plato wished to overturn the way that society functioned and create a new and more just way for human beings to relate to one another as they developed. This new set of relationships between the three distinct sets of rulers, warriors, and laborers in his society, and of all classes between the state of the ideal "Republic" as a whole would be defined by the new educational system.

It is worthy of note that the most restrictive, as well as the most extensive education was lavished upon the children of the elite, as the philosopher-kings could not become corrupted in their desires with lust or bribes, else the whole state would become corrupt. The philosopher kings, warriors, and laborers alike would have their children taken away from them at a young age. The people could not marry voluntarily, rather they would be eugenically matched with the best women, to produce the best children, and the children would be raised and educated in common. In fact, no child would know who his or her parent was. All children would be taught myths to instill in them proper state, rather than proper family values, commensurate with their ability to understand philosophy.

It should be noted that a citizen's vocational class was determined by his or her relative success in Plato's educational process. If someone did not seem fit to become a philosopher-king, that person would not be allowed to. Philosopher-kings lived in a voluntary state of poverty, in service to the state. Plato viewed education, however, as a way of weeding out those who were inferior, as well as instructive and improving as a process. A person was only allowed to receive the maximum level of education compatible with interest and ability. Only those individuals who completed the full state educational inculcation in the values of austerity and philosophy could become the state's philosopher-kings. The most developed minds should think, the most developed bodies should protect, and the most developed hands should make crafts, and the education of each of these distinct groups, as determined by birth and character, should be directed thusly and distinctly.