Plato wrote two of his most famous works, The Republic and The Dialogue. In The Republic, Plato described his theory of forms, wherein he proposed that there is an ideal world of perfect, eternal ideas that is separate from the imperfect, ever-changing material world that we perceive with our senses. He defined truth as being perfect and eternal, and thus not something that can be found in the imperfect material world. Plato believed that education should aim to lead students from the imperfect material world to understanding the perfect, ideal forms. He advocated for a rigorous curriculum and lifelong education system focused on developing civic and military leaders, workers, and civil servants to serve the ideal state.

1. TWO of hismostfamousworks are:
1. The Republic
2. The Dialogue
The Republic: Plato wrote
about the separation of the world
of ideas from the world of matter.
The world of ideas had Good as its
highest point, which is the source
of all true knowledge. The world of
matter, the ever changing world of
sensory data, was not to be
trusted.
His definition of truth was that
it was perfect and eternal, so it
cannot be found in the world of
matter as matter in imperfect and
constantly changing.
4 MAJOR IDEAS (simplified)
 Think more.
 Let your lover change
you.
 Decode the message of
beauty.
 Reform society.
SORSOGON STATE COLLEGE
School of Graduate Studies
Sorsogon
2nd
Semester, A.Y. 201-2015
SUBJECT: Philo-Socio-PsychoFoundationinEducation
TOPIC: Man, Education and Society:
Contributionof GreatPhilosophers- PLATO
DISCUSSANT: JohnCarlo D. Gicaro
PROFESSOR: Dr. Librada H. Esplana
PLATO
 Birth name: ARISTOCLES (named after his grandfather)
 Nickname:Platon (meaning “broad”, because of his physical built)
 Born: 428–427 BC; Athens
 Died: 348–347 BC (age approx 80); Athens
 Era: Ancient philosophy
 Region: Western Philosophy
 Mother: Perictione
 Father: Ariston
Tell me more about him…
- A Greek philosopher
- Born to a family of the political and social elite (aristocrats)
- Handsome and well-developed physically
- Intelligent and strong in the love of wisdom
- Ardent admirer, student and disciple of Socrates
- Opened his own school, the Academy (Academia)
- First Utopian thinker
- Father of Idealism
GOAL: help people to reach EUDAIMONIA or FULFILMENT
PLATO and EDUCATION “Education for
ALL”
 Boys and girls should be given equal opportunity to develop
themselves.
 The function of education should be to determine that which
by nature fits men into.
Organization and Curriculum
Plato’scurriculumwasconsistof gymnasticandmusic,where in
gymnasticinclude physical trainingandmusicusedinbroadterm
for dram,history,oratoryand musicinreal term, he define
differentstagesforthe organizationandcurriculum
LIFELONG EDUCATION: The Learning Society
Childrenentersschool atthe age of 6
- Learn 3R’s (reading,writing&arithmetic)
- Music and sports
 18 y.o.- undergomilitaryandphysical training
 21 y.o.- higherstudies
 30 y.o.- studyPhilosophyandserve the polisinthe armyor
civil service
 50 y.o.- readyto rule
*Physical educationbeginsevenbefore birth.Pregnantwomen
are advisedtowalkaroundand move aboutas muchas possible.
*PlatonicEducation’sobjectsare:(1) moral & political,(2) life
skill.
Plato’s Aims of Education
 To develop leader among the future
rulers.
 To develop hard and competent
workers.
 To produce leaders with military skill
among the warriors.
 To produce future Civil Servants of
the state.

2. Role of the TEACHER- A educator is considered to have greatest importance. He is like torch bearer
who leads a man lying in the dark cave, out of the darkness into the bright light of the outside world.
The teacher is thus the constant guide of the students. The teacher must be a person of high integrity
and must possess high self-worth. He must have pleasing personality, in-depth knowledge a nd
professional training. He should be deeply committed to his profession, have high sense of
responsibility and a true role model. Teachers should lead a true moral life. They should practice what
they preach.
Teaching Methods
 Elementary level- play method
 Higher lever- critical thinking and abstracting
 Use motivation and interest in learning
 Against the use of force in education
 “Knowledge which is acquired under
compulsion obtains no hold on the mind.”
 “Do not then train the youths by force and
harshness, but direct them to it by what amuses
their minds so that you may be better able to
discover with accuracy the peculiar bent of the
genius of each.”
 Plato thinks that it is necessary to submit the
students to hard tests capable of evaluating their
abilities. It includes testing their memory, their
resistance to pain and seduction and their ability
to carry out hard works.
Theory of FORMS
-Envisions an entire world of such Forms, a
world that exists outside of time and space,
where beauty, justice, courage,temperance and
the like exist untarnished by the changes and
imperfection of the visible world.
2 levels/divisions of Reality
1. IDEAL- perfect reality of existence (the
Forms)
2. PHENOMENA- physical world we experience
(tangible, visible, flawed and imperfect)
References:
 http://philosophyforlife.org/philosophies-
for-life/platonists/
 http://www.scu.edu/ethics/publications/sub
mitted/dillon/education_plato_republic.html
 http://www.infoplease.com/encyclopedia/pe
ople/plato-works-
philosophy.html#ixzz3OqdrvDCu
 https://www.bu.edu/wcp/Papers/Teac/Teac
Reid.htm