Plato Quotes On Education
What are the best Plato quotes on education? Here’s the only list you’ll ever need.
Plato Valued the Importance of Education Greatly
Education is important. Thoughts and ideas can dictate our emotions, beliefs, values and behaviours with great influence. Thus, from a young age, as Plato believed, we should be taught the right ideas in the right way.
For Plato, education was a necessity.
He believed that “ideas are the source of all things.” Thoughts shape everything. You’ve probably heard many people say that, in life, it’s all about how you look at it. From a cognitive-behavioural perspective, it literally is. Cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) is based on changing your outlook on life. It works by tapping into your thoughts, beliefs, emotions and behaviours; they all shape and influence one another. This is why good education is important. A single idea can change your entire life, by shaping the very patterns that constitute your existence. Change your habits to change your life.
What did Plato think about old age, the Ring of Gyges, and the principle of specialization? Click here to read more: Plato on Old Age, The Ring of Gyges and Specialization – The Republic
In The Republic, he stresses the importance of not only training the mind, but also the body.
Plato means “broad” in Greek. Plato was not his real name, but rather, a nickname. It arose due to the nature of his physical appearance. Plato had broad shoulders, and was skilled in the art of grappling. He wasn’t just an intellectual force of nature, but also a skilled fighter who was well versed in the art of training the body. In other words, he was build like a brick, in both mind and body. Thus, to be a philosopher, according to Plato, we must train the body and the mind in appropriation with one another.
If you want to learn about Plato’s Soul Theory from The Republic, click here: What Is Plato’s Soul Theory In The Republic?
The Four Cardinal Virtues are at the heart of Plato’s The Republic. Click here to learn how to adopt them in your daily life: The Four Cardinal Virtues – How To Become Good
So, what about Plato? What did Plato think about education? What are Plato’s best quotes on education?
Here is the list of Plato’s best quotes on education:
Plato’s Best Quotes on Education
“Ideas are the source of all things.”
“The direction in which education starts a man will determine his future in life.”
“The most effective kind of education is that a child should play amongst lovely things.”
“The first and greatest victory is to conquer yourself; to be conquered by yourself is of all things most shameful and vile.”
“Rhetoric is the art of ruling the minds of men.”
“Education is not the filling of a pail, but rather the lighting of a fire.”
“If a man neglects education, he walks lame to the end of his life.”
“Do not train a child to learn by force or harshness; but direct them to it by what amuses their minds, so that you may be better able to discover with accuracy the peculiar bent of the genius of each.”
“Seek truth while you are young, for if you do not, it will later escape your grasp.”
“The most effective kind of education is that a child should play amongst lovely things.”
“No man should bring children into the world who is unwilling to persevere to the end in their nature and education.”
“Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.”
“Education is teaching our children to desire the right things.”
“A good decision is based on knowledge and not on numbers.”
“Books give a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything.”
“To love rightly is to love what is orderly and beautiful in an educated and disciplined way.”
What Do You Think?
Do you like these Plato quotes on education? Do you agree or disagree with what Plato said on education? What is your favourite quote? Would you like to see a breakdown of each quote in another post?
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