Ethical Conduct and Education Essay

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Plato's The Cave

The chief theme addressed in the "Allegory of the Cave" by Plato is that: mankind often fails to comprehend the world's actual reality, believing they grasp whatever they come across, see and feel around them. In truth, humanity simply recognizes shadows of different entities' actual forms.

Plato's work depicts captives shackled such that all they are able to view is the cave's rear wall, upon which dance shadows cast by things moved between the light from a huge fire behind their backs and the cave wall. "How could they see anything but the shadows if they were never allowed to move their heads?" As their vision is limited to the cave wall, they are unaware of the fact that what they see are only shadows. They believe their eyes perceive actual things. For instance, if a man's shadow were to dance upon the wall, they would feel it was an actual human as there was no way they could know of it only being a shadow.

Themes

Education

According to Socrates, the city's good took preference over individual citizens' good. As a result, the educational system put forward by him aimed at creating loyal citizens committed to, and most capable of, satisfying the needs of Athens (or any city for that matter). His system of education isolated exceptionally able persons to train them as philosopher-kings, warriors, or guardians of the people. Every child received the same education till he reached 18 years of age, after which boys whose capabilities were placed into the 'crafts' and 'labor' category gave up education to become craftsmen and laborers.

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The rest received physical and military training. Out of these, warriors or boys with an aptitude for the battlefield were separated from future rulers of the city (i.e., guardians). The latter could continue their education for many more years, till those who were most competent and devoted, who attained the highest educational levels, became prospective philosopher-kings.

Theirs was a rather tightly controlled educational system. While the arts and literary disciplines constituted key components of education, children were only taught moral literature. The Greek philosophers were of the opinion that literature ought not to be an imitation of life, or assume dramatic form, as it would confuse the citizens, rendering them less productive in their respective roles. Education, for warriors and guardians in particular, promoted the overall city's good, instead of that of individuals or families. It was "the task of the enlightened not only to ascend to learning and to see the good but to be willing to descend again to those prisoners and to share their troubles and their honors, whether they are worth having or not. And this they must do, even with the prospect of death (Plato, 1974)."

Justice

From the Republic, it is clear that Socrates aimed at ascertaining ethical conduct or justice's nature, within the city as well as citizens. He linked justice to societal and human spiritual frameworks. Individual justice represents a state wherein sensible souls control cravings and wants as well as emotions. A citizen who achieves this is ethical, and will….....

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