Some of Plato's ideas on education contrasted with some of the modern trends in educational theory in the United States of America

Abstract

As with every other man. who influenced succeeding generations, Plato was a product of his time, whose genius and foresight rendered his ideas timeless. It is from the study of events and influences that moulded his character that we must arrive at the proper understanding of his outlook on life and consequently his theories about it and its amelioration. As such amelioration may be described as the ultimate aim of progress through education, this would mean his view on the importance of education and the ways in which its ends might be achieved. It must however be kept continually in mind that there existed in his time an ideal of living for divergent from any that may be found in the modern world. Perfection was thought of as being static, innovations as mostly anathema. Even Plato, many of whose theories must have been completely radical, was ever on guard against the complete upsetting of the order of things. Stability was perfection, and its possible after effect of stagnation was ignored. This fear - to use Emerson's apt metaphor, - of letting the half gods go before the gods come in, may explain why sometimes Plato seems to hold back his visions and pull them back to contemporary conditions.