Plato had a three-level system of public education in ancient Greece. Students first attended elementary school, then selective secondary school, and the most selective were admitted to Plato's Academy to study philosophy. Plato believed that education and rigorous training were needed to cultivate virtues and allow those with the best natures to rule. His system covered subjects like literature, mathematics, and sciences. Socratic teaching used questioning dialogue to engage students in examining their beliefs and understanding topics in depth through conversation.

1. The pedagogical theory’ s in Plato’ s republic (Cornford Edition)
The paper needs to discuss the pedagogical theory’ s in Plato’ s republic (Cornford Edition)
using the chapters on education and training ,as well as the conversations Socrates has with
all other characters as methods of teaching. No other references are required, only use of
the Cornford edition of the Republic. The essay is for a political science class, so some
consideration must be given to how education effects the polis.Pedagogical Theory in
Plato’ s RepublicPlato was one of the first philosophers to invent a three-level classification
of students in public education. According to him, his aim was separating men with golden
hearts as well as intellects by training and educating them to run higher state functions as
executives or rulers. It is presumed that lack of proper nurture would cause a bright student
lose or lack interest in serving citizens of a state His three-leveled public education
comprised the ordinary elementary school, secondary school and state university.
Admission to secondary school was selective whereas to the university was more
selective.Plato the father of the ancient Academy was born within 429 BC in Athens died in
348/7. His parents had reputable ancestry his father Ariston being a descendant of an
Athens King and Perictione his mother had blood ties with Solon the well renowned
Athenian constitution architect. Ariston his father died young and his mother married
Pyrilampes, her uncle. Pyrilampes was a great friend of Pericles who was by then a
statesman in Athens. Hence, Plato was exposed to politics from an early age but he lost
interest and instead turned to philosophy when his teacher and mentor, Socrates was
executed.Plato himself was an academician, having written several dialogues which survive
to date and having founded the Academy which is the mother of all universities. The
academy was a teaching as well as a research center that focused on both theoretical and
practical subjects. Some of the Academy products were Eudoxus the one who geometrically
explained the rotations of the earth, sun and moon and Theaetetus who developed his solid
geometry in the Academy. His philosophical works were mainly influenced by Socrates
while his successors including Speusippus his nephew continually modified his
teachings (Burt, 1975).Plato was a lover of justice and harmony and according to him
education and training were the only keys to achieve the virtues. In his three-level system of
education the elementary school curriculum covered literature, music plus civics. In
secondary school students studied arithmetic, mathematics, plane in aIDition to solid
geometry, harmonics and astronomy in preparation for future posts in the civil and military

2. services. Higher learning recommended one to undertake five years in dialectic learning. In
aIDition those that were elected to lead the supreme state were required to go for fifteen
years in practical experience.These rulers were then trained and employed for internal law
enforcement work and external warfare. This rigorous training prepared the select few,
intellects, to spend eternity as philosophers. The ideal state according to Plato relied on
kings being philosophers if not philosophers being kings.His republic required equal
opportunities for education, indiscriminative of gender However; this thought was
presumed revolutionary during that time. Women got the same opportunities in education
as men for both body and mind. They also were privileged to be instilled the art of war. In
cases where she possessed acceptable natural gifts, a woman shared the uppermost public
duties on equal terms with men. Though it was comprehended that she possessed physical
weakness, all occupational opportunities were open to a woman. Naturally, a man was
perceived suitable for splendor and valor while a woman for temperance and orderliness.In
the republic the initiative of gifted students in the system of education was evident during
open mathematics discussions. Plato supposed that every student needed to be exposed to
mathematics for it contributed to mental prowess of students as well as sharpened their
wits and improved their levels of concentration. Higher mathematical skills were presumed
essential for the few elect leaders. Hence, systematic thoroughness and accuracy was highly
considered in teaching gifted students.The advanced curriculum was applied to students
who demonstrated an understanding of a broad-spectrum of a variety of curriculum areas.
Any student who successfully grasped the practical as well as the theoretical connection by
age thirty he secured an admission to study philosophy, the peak and most complete of all
studies.The description of Plato to Socrates is one of a philosopher who cut across
conservative philosophy and entirely twisted its course. The philosophy of Socrates is
realized in his art of speech, listening as well as the interest of trust that he banks on
conversation as well as argument. Socrates influenced teaching and public life by use of
conversation. His way of life greatly influences public life by insisting on having the Socratic
dialectic which does not focus on evil but good.Socratic teaching uses conversation thus
engages students in questions and struggle by conversation. A teacher with Socratic
inspiration is committed to rigorous examinations of the morals and faith of the moment,
highly recognizing the widely shared but rarely questioned convictions. The prime targets
are reliance prestigious paradigms and dependence on consensus. This teaching explores
effects of compelling alternatives on current fashions.Socratic teaching demands us to face
and reflect the philosophy we perform in our everyday conversations and our regard to
others in speech. According to Socrates, an inhabitant of oral culture, an inhabitant of
contextual oral culture, philosophizing meant conversing with other people about topics
that mattered the most since they gave reference to the primary issues of the life of man and
human nature. Philosophy presented itself in the soul of every man thus Socrates applied
philosophy by initiated this prospective to reveal itself.The distinguishing feature in
Socratic conversation is its famous questioning. Socratic questioning ventures out to the
way of conversation in the setting of interlocutors. Discussion topics are sternly maintained
within the prospects of the comprehension of every participant of the debate. However,
there are minimal chances of losing the thread or else having built up hiIDen disagreement

3. on the argument. Therefore, in cases of an occurrence of opposition Socrates attempts to
overcome it through recasting the discussion in acceptable terms to all.Socratic questioning
includes unrelenting questions to the listeners, forcing every individual to speak out, voice
personal opinions and stand ground in their own statements. None of the opinions is
allowed to lie in wait in bay of a complaining mind while no argument ought to be carried
on without consensus and total understanding.According to Socrates, philosophy comes out
from conversation whose confrontational questions form base for mutual inquiry. In fact
Platonic dialogue had its motivation from Socratic teaching of questions and answers.
Dialogue was believed to be originally a philosophical thought and a way of bringing two
people to an understanding of any subject. Being a faithful follower of Socrates calls for
making known personal moral stances since, Socrates stresses on the virtue of honesty.
Socratic conversation entails that heard voices be very well connected with their
positions.The first rule, elenchus, states that the respondent is obliged to say what he
thinks. Protagoras took on a view that was hypothetical that aimed at breaking this rule.
However, Socrates stopped him right away and when Callicles hesitated to give Socrates an
answer to a posed question Socrates responded by stating that the inquiry could not
proceed if he lacked courage to talk freely. Socrates argues that though the compliance of
the respondent eases his job, the respondent should not restrict himself from saying what
he really believes.Elenchus or refutation exceeds just a mere exercise within philosophical
analysis. The mode of asking individuals to openly make a stand on their moral intuitions in
their day to day lives certainly reveals an element of their characters. As much as Elenchus
is concerned with courage, humility and honesty it also has something to do with
reasonable acumen. It emphasizes on the honesty that will drive one to pronounce his
thoughts, humility to confess what one is not acquainted with, and courage to move on with
the investigation.Socrates twists philosophy to fit our daily lives through discovering
philosophy in choices open to the elements of conversation when confronted by questions
regarding our choice of way of life and how we tell it to people. Emotion and experience as
well as conversation result to personal views on what one is supposed to do. Conversation
takes place in social as well as historical contexts. The conversation is deemed to live given
that human beings will live in a world that gives them the consent to converse freely every
one with another.Nevertheless, most of his respondents lack all the three elements namely;
honesty, humility and courage. When Socrates stops Protagoras from defying the rule of
honesty in saying what is in the mind, Protagoras becomes enraged. When Socrates
concludes that inquiry could not proceed if Callicles lacked the courage to answer, Callicles
began to sulk. Polus on one hand opted to apply cheap rhetorical actions while Critias lost
his self-control and Meno wanted to quit. These reactions have since left a lot of
questionable doubt creating discrepancy in the ideas with their personalities.Active
participation in Socratic conversation needs searching questions from active listening as
well as a will to face up to own ignorance. Socrates models by pronouncing his personal
ignorance while confronting that of other individuals. He would make us meet head-on with
our knowledge on virtue and our assumptions on what we claim to possess virtue in our
professions or work, through our tête-à-tête with others.The teachings of Socrates extend to
making believe the fact that it is impossible to teach virtue but instead virtue is embodied.

4. Socrates himself is a good example of virtue and excellence and he enacts this through his
unremitting questing and questioning. Though he may not fully succeed in demonstrating
the definition of virtue, but he manages to elaborate virtue as well as excellence through his
perfect example of his personal life.Socrates calls us to evaluate the worth and not the
popularity of what we learn. He aIDs that whatever one learns should not have the capacity
to exterminate the psyche just as contaminated food exterminates the body. Socrates spent
a good fortune of his life scrutinizing existing presuppositions of Athens. He found out that
his philosophy existed as a stance in the countenance of ignorance. Though his life was
envisaged critical he was as well constructive.Socratic power had a great influence in polis
for it penetrated the worlds of emotional appearances, physical and perceptual. This world
consists of emotions of liking and disliking, a world which people attach their emotions to.
Socrates talks about the disparity amid being good and appearing good. There is some
possibility that an external manifestation of goodness reflects an inward goodness.
Nevertheless, it could possibly not be the fact. Education from a younger age is believed to
curb violence in the society (Elkins, 2000).Violence in young people has continuously raised
major concern by the public in modern societies. Violence prevention merely needs an
understanding of growth of young children who are innocent into adolescents who are
violent. Research on children from their onset of infancy to adulthood reveals that violence
is at its peak between the age of two and four after birth. However, due to the petit sizes of
the two-year-olds their physical aggression poses no major threat.Plato the academician
was also Plato the political scientist. Greece by then was ruled by kings and sub-kings.
Administration was carried out through the royal household by servants who were assigned
different functions. The system comprises classes whereby those with top ranks helped the
king perform religious duties as well as representing him in various public functions. The
juniors for instance the lesser therapontes were made to control the armory or stables.
Army recruitment and supplies were allocated in accordance with tribe.Thus, by sixth
century Homeric kingship as system of government had declined. Plato was highly cynical of
the system and in fact described the process of choosing the ephorate by lot excessively
childish. Plato and other philosophers like Thucydides and Aristotle highly developed the
science of politics in Greek organization and administration. Through education, Plato was
set to design the best society that gave an assurance of good life to its citizens. Plato in his
works questioned democracy that was claimed to be yet power was not in the hands of a
whole but in the hands of a minority. He aIDs that education was the only key to a
liberalized state by concluding that if kings did not become philosophers or philosophers
were not kings then it was bound for trouble to remain.REFERENCESPlato. (1973/393 BC).
Plato:Laches and charmides. Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill.Plato. (1951). The Republic. (F.
Cornford, Ed., & F. Conford, Trans.) U.S.A: Oxford University Press.Plato, & Reeve, C. D.
(2004). Republic. Indianapolis: Hackett Publishing.Order with us for a unique essay on the
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