Philosophers on Education

Paper Summary:

The paper offers a summary of the educational contributions of the three philosophers; Plato, Aristotle and John Stuart Mill. The writer then describes the influence they each had on his educational philosophy.

From the Paper:

"In Plato's Republic, the philosopher makes several statements about the importance of education and education method, especially in terms of philosophical education. In her important work on the subject--"Education in Plato's Republic"--Ariel Dillon suggests that Plato contributes two very separate accounts of education to the realm of educational philosophy. In the first account, Socrates, who dictates Plato's philosophies, discusses the importance of education for representatives of the military. They should be trained, according to Plato, to both exhibit ferocity with their enemies as well as a "gentle[ness]" with their "familiars" (Dillon 2004). Through this type of education, the military men will be trained as a type of noble, according to Plato. Similarly, Plato suggests that both music and gymnastics are necessary for educating the military men, music "for the soul" and gymnastics "for the body.""

Sample of Sources Used:

• Chambilss, J.J. (2008). Aristotle: Education for a Common End. Retrieved August 23, 2008, from State University.com's Education EncyclopediaWeb Site: http://education.stateuniversity.com/pages/1763/Aristotle-384-322-B-C-E.html
• Dillon, Ariel. (2004). Education in Plato's Republic. Retrieved August 23, 2008, from Santa Clara University Web Site: http://www.scu.edu/ethics/publications/submitted/dillon/education_plato_republic.html
• Heydt, Colin. (2006). John Stuart Mill: Overview. Retrieved August 23, 2008, from The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy.Web Site: http://www.iep.utm.edu/m/milljs.htm

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