Platos Philosophy of Education and Recommendation of the Philosophy in the Context of Bahamas - Term Paper Example

s Plato’s Philosophy of Education And recommendation of the Philosophy in the context of Bahamas 5/9 “Knowledge becomes evil if the aim be not virtuous” – Plato (Ruskin, 1905, p. 232) Plato’s Philosophy of Education Plato, an idealist by character, was the most illustrious disciple of Socrates; and has been the foremost authority responsible for promotion of the idealist philosophy of education (Gutek, 1997, pp. 14, 15). Plato’s philosophy of education centered on creating the “ideal” state, by selecting the best candidates for the best possible jobs (Ornstein, Levine, Gutek, & Vocke, 2010, pp. 72-76), very similar to the process of higher education today where students are selected for universities and courses based on proving their capabilities through various entrance examinations such as the SATs. Plato’s Ideal Society Plato believed that infants should be removed from their parent’s care and cared by the government as “wards of the state”; as Plato deemed that most people of that era were ignorant and mistaken in terms of their beliefs; hence, he devised this structure so that such parents do not pass on their negative traits and false beliefs to their children (Ornstein, Levine, Gutek, & Vocke, 2010, p. 73). Another supporting opinion to this structure according to some Plato fanatics, was that since the women won’t have to take care of their children, their otherwise wasted potential could also be used; Plato believed that both the sexes are equivalent and that even women can lead the state or join the army (Heineman, 1995, p. 37) (Moyers, 1996, pp. 54,55). This is also evident from the following text by Plato (Translated by Moyers (1996)): “We shall have to train the women also, then, in both kinds of skills, and train them for war as well, and treat them in the same way as the men” – Plato (Moyers, 1996, p. 55) Once these children became ward of the state, they were to be treated as equals and would receive compulsory (and uniform) education from ages 6-18 in fields such as music, philosophy, basic math, gymnastics, basic life skills, classic literature, etc. The texts would be completely censored and only the text which spoke about the good of the state or “epitomized truthfulness” would be permitted (Ornstein, Levine, Gutek, & Vocke, 2010, p. 74). At the age of 18 years, all of the wards had to join the army for training purposes for 2 years. Once they turned 20, the wards would be divided into three categories by the existing leaders, these were (Ornstein, Levine, Gutek, & Vocke, 2010, pp. 72-76): 1. The Rulers (Philosophers): The most intellectually able students would be handpicked to become the future leaders of the state. Within the selection procedure, the ethics and morals of the students were also checked along with their ability to imagine & creativity. Once the rulers were selected, they were sent for further training for 10 years in mathematics, geometry, sciences and astronomy. After which they would again be tested, the less intelligent amongst the selected were chosen for service within various civil departments of the government. The remaining creams amongst the cream students were then selected to become future leaders and would go on to become further trained in the philosophy of metaphysics for 20 more years. Finally at the age of 50, these chosen candidates would become the new leaders of the state (senators). 2. Military Might: The Second category was for students who had impeccable ethics, were physically very fit and athletic, had a flair for sports, and had courage. These were chosen to be in military and were trained for a few more years to partake in military services and defend the nation. 3. Worker Class: The remaining bulk of candidates were chosen to be workers and were trained for their specific (natural) talents, such as a student with a flair of colors would go on to be a painter, one with the ability to work hard and lift weights was trained in construction. Within these three classes women had equal rights as men, and no jobs were predetermined based on gender. Conclusion: Recommendation for Bahamas There are three aspects of the Plato’s idealism: the good, the bad, and the standard; the standard being compulsory education. The good aspects of Plato’s structure were no gender bias, definite welfare of the state, and best possible selection of rulers. The bad aspects: loss of freedom & personal opinions, and losing rights over children. Bahamas is a small economy with hospitality & tourism controlling the major chunk of its GDP (U.S. Department of State, 2011). Within such a community such an educational structure would definitely benefit the country as the state would be able to utilize its resources optimally. The Bahamians have been following some of the good aspects of Plato’s idealism, the most important one in fact; which suggests that only the intellectually capable will get to play a role in the civil services of the state. When Bahamas gained its independence in 1973 (BBC News, 2010), the education paradigm was very different from what it is today. During that period, primary and secondary education was not compulsory; yet only the people that excelled in their lessons and assessments received suitable and deserving positions within reputed civil service departments. (Sunal & Mutua, 2007, p. 204) These civil servants used the best of their abilities to manage the state and this indeed helped the Bahamas become a self-sufficient state within such a short span from independence. While education is compulsory in Bahamas till the age of 16, most schools face the issue of over-crowding; this is an issue that would have literally exterminated Plato’s structure as according to him, the state was required to teach them as well as care for them, which would have been impossible at the time. Yet with an average literacy rate of 95.5, the Bahamas educational system has indeed proven its worth. (U.S. Department of State, 2011) There is still much to learn from the great philosopher’s theories, this being said with reference to optimum selection of candidates for occupations best suited according to their abilities and qualifications, bearing in mind the requirements of the state’s industries. Higher studies then should be heavily concentrated upon the candidate’s occupations’, in this case since the tourism and exports of chemicals (Polystyrene & nucleic acids); the colleges within the country should focus more on consulting the students of the vacancies and benefits of employment within such industries. Focused education is indeed the most important factor considering that the Bahamian GDP mostly consists of very few industries. (U.S. Department of State, 2011) References BBC News. (2010, July 9). BBC on this day. Retrieved May 4, 2011, from BBC Home: http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/july/9/newsid_2498000/2498835.stm Gutek, G. L. (1997). Philosophical and ideological perspectives on education (2nd ed.). Boston: Allyn and Bacon. Heineman, R. A. (1995). Political Science. New York City: McGraw-Hill Professional. Moyers, T. L. (1996). Wanderings: Exploring Moral Landscapes Past and Present. Lanham: University Press of America. Ornstein, A. C., Levine, D. U., Gutek, G. L., & Vocke, D. E. (2010). Foundations of Education (11th ed.). Stamford: Cengage Learning. Ruskin, J. (1905). The works of John Ruskin (Vol. 29). (E. T. Cook, & A. O. Wedderburn, Eds.) Oakland: The University of California. Sunal, C. S., & Mutua, K. (2007). The Enterprise of Education. IAP. U.S. Department of State. (2011). The Bahamas. Retrieved May 4, 2012, from U.S. Department of State: http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/1857.htm Read More