Plato is considered one of the most influential thinkers in history, and his teachings about education have had a lasting impact.
In this article, we will explore some of Plato’s best quotes on education. These quotes emphasize the importance of learning for its own sake, as well as the need for a teacher who understands and can share the student’s unique interests.
About Plato
Plato was born in 428 BC and died at the age of 81 in 347 BC. He was a Greek philosopher who is considered the most famous student of Socrates and also the teacher of his famous student Aristotle.
Plato founded the Platonist school of thought and the Academy in Athens, which is the first known institution of higher learning in the Western world. Plato’s philosophy focused on ethics, epistemology, and metaphysics.
He wrote extensively on these topics, including dialogues and letters. Some of Plato’s most famous quotes about education include: “The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.” And “Education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel.
In “The Republic,” Plato discusses the nature of education and its importance in building a just society. He argues that education must be based on the cultivation of wisdom and virtue rather than on the acquisition of facts and skills.
For Plato, the purpose of education is to help individuals become virtuous and wise members of society. He believes that it is essential for children to be exposed to a wide range of subjects, including mathematics, literature, music, and philosophy.
By studying these subjects, students learn how to think critically and analyze complex problems.
Here are some of the best Plato Quotes About Education
Plato’s philosophy was based on the belief that there is a world of perfect Forms or Ideas that exist outside of the physical world.
He believed that knowledge is a matter of grasping these Forms. Let’s understand the ideology of Plato through the following quotes:
1. “Light is the shadow of god”― Plato
In his famous allegory of the cave, Plato uses the analogy of prisoners chained in a cave who can only see the shadows of objects cast on the wall in front of them to explain the nature of reality. For Plato, these shadows are a mere reflection of reality and not the reality itself. In the same way, light is said to be the shadow of God, as it is a mere reflection of His presence.
2. “Come then, and let us pass a leisure hour in storytelling, and our story shall be the education of our heroes.”― Plato
The author is suggesting that they spend their time telling stories and that the stories will be an education. He is saying that storytelling is a good way to spend their time and that by doing so, they will learn something.
3. “Every heart sings a song, incomplete until another heart whispers back. Those who wish to sing always find a song. At the touch of a lover, everyone becomes a poet.”― Plato
4. “No man should bring children into the world who is unwilling to persevere to the end in their nature and education.”― Plato
5. “Opinion is the medium between knowledge and ignorance.”― Plato
In order to have the knowledge, one must first have an opinion. An opinion is a judgment or conclusion that is based on incomplete information.
It is important to note that an opinion is not always correct, but it is better than having no information at all. Ignorance, on the other hand, is the lack of knowledge. It is important to remember that ignorance can be cured by acquiring knowledge.
6. “Education is teaching our children to desire the right things.”― Plato
Plato believed that education is the most important tool we have to help our children reach their potential and become good, productive members of society.
He felt that it was important for children to learn about morality, ethics, and justice so that they could make good decisions in their lives. He also believed that it was important for them to be well-rounded individuals with knowledge of both the arts and the sciences.
7. “I am the wisest man alive, for I know one thing, and that is that I know nothing.”― Plato
This quote is from Plato’s work, The Apology. In it, Socrates is defending himself in court and says this quote to illustrate that he knows he doesn’t know everything and that wisdom comes from recognizing this fact.
He goes on to explain that the only thing he has ever done is question everything he knows and learns from the people around him. This approach to life, he says, has led him to be a wiser man than anyone else.
8. “The most effective kind of education is that a child should play amongst lovely things.”― Plato
9. “Even the Gods love jokes.”― Plato
This quote by Plato is saying that even the gods love jokes. This could be interpreted in a few ways. One way is that the gods are able to find humor in the world, even though they are above it.
Another way to interpret this is that the gods are able to see the irony and humor in human life, despite being perfect beings.
10. “The measure of a man is what he does with power.”― Plato
This quote is attributed to the ancient Greek philosopher Plato, and it means that the measure of a man is what he does with the power that he has.
It’s a reminder that everyone has power in some way, and it’s up to each individual to use that power for good or bad.
The quote is relevant today because it’s a reminder that we all have a responsibility to use our power thoughtfully and ethically.
11. “The soul of him who has education is whole and perfect and escapes the worst disease, but, if a man’s education be neglected, he walks lamely through life and returns good for nothing to the world below.”― Plato
12. “The unexamined life is not worth living,”― Plato
This quote by Plato is often interpreted as meaning that if we do not reflect on our lives, then they are not meaningful. In other words, without self-reflection, we cannot grow and learn as individuals.
This quote is still relevant today, especially in an age where so much of our lives are lived online and out of view of others. It is more important than ever to take time for introspection and reflection in order to understand ourselves better.
13. “Is it our chief aim in life to avoid risks?”― Plato
14. “The heaviest penalty for declining to rule is to be ruled by someone inferior to yourself.”― Plato
15. “Thinking: the talking of the soul with itself.”― Plato
This quote is from Plato’s work “The Republic” and discusses the idea of self-reflection. Plato is suggesting that when we talk to ourselves, we are actually communicating with our soul, which is our true self.
He believes that this inner self is what is truly important and that it is our duty to learn about it and understand it.
16. “Everything that deceives also enchants.”― Plato
17. “No matter at all, I replied, for the point is not who said the words, but whether they are true or not.”― Plato
18. “The direction in which education starts a man will determine his future life”― Plato
This quote from Plato suggests that the direction in which a person is educated will determine their future life path.
If a person is educated in a way that focuses on their strengths and cultivates their natural talents, they are likely to have a successful and fulfilling life.
However, if a person’s education focuses on their weaknesses and areas in which they are not naturally talented, they are likely to struggle more in life.
19. “Wise men talk because they have something to say. Fools talk because they have to say something.”― Plato
20. “How will you go about finding that thing, the nature of which is totally unknown to you?”― Plato
The first step in finding something when you don’t know what it is or where it is is to develop a plan of action. You need to think about what you do know about the thing you’re looking for and come up with a list of potential clues.
Once you have a plan, you can start searching for the thing using whatever resources are available to you. It’s important to stay flexible and adapt as new information arises.
21. “The object of education is to teach us to love what is beautiful.”― Plato
22. “Never discourage anyone…who continually makes progress, no matter how slow.”― Plato
This quote is by Plato, and it means that we should never discourage someone who is trying to improve themselves, no matter how slow they may be.
We should always encourage people to keep working hard and progressing because even small steps in the right direction are better than no progress at all.
23. “Love sees no enemies…fear does.”― Plato
The quote by Plato is a complex statement on the nature of love and fear. The quote suggests that love does not see enemies, while fear does. Fear is associated with division and hatred, while love is associated with unification and friendship.
This reflects the different ways in which love and fear operate in people’s lives. Fear is oriented towards self-protection and preserving one’s own interests, while love is oriented towards the good of others.
24. “Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws”― Plato
25. “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.”― Plato
26. “We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.”― Plato
27. “If a man neglects education, he walks lame to the end of his life.”― Plato
It’s hard to boil down such a proverb to a single interpretation, but one way to read it is that if someone doesn’t take the time to educate themselves, they’ll be at a disadvantage in life.
This might mean they’re less likely to find good jobs or that they’ll struggle more financially. Additionally, they may not be as knowledgeable about important topics or current events.
Another interpretation could focus on the idea of education as a way to improve oneself as a person.
28. “Only the dead have seen the end of the war.”― Plato
This quote from Plato is often used to suggest that humans are unable to know the future. It’s used as a metaphor for the idea that we can never know what will happen until it does.
The quote suggests that even those who have died don’t know the end of the war, or in other words, the ultimate outcome of any situation.
29. “Beauty is the splendour of truth”― Platon
Beauty is one of the most important topics in philosophy because it is intimately connected with our idea of the good. In the Republic, Plato argues that beauty is a reflection of the Form of Beauty, which is perfect and eternal.
He claims that when we experience beauty, we are seeing a glimpse of the divine. This idea has been influential for centuries and continues to be a central topic in aesthetics.
30. “The tools that would teach men their own use would be beyond price.”― Plato
31. “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a harder battle.”― Plato
This quote is attributed to Plato and speaks to the idea that everyone is fighting their own battle, and so we should be kind to one another.
This is a powerful message because it reminds us that we never really know what someone is dealing with, and so we should always be kind and considerate.
It can be easy to forget this when we are busy or when we are going through our own struggles, but it is a valuable reminder that we should try to live by.
Let’s Wind Up…
Plato was a great philosopher who had a lot to say about education. His quotes are still relevant today, and they can help us to become better educators. We hope you have found his quotes as inspiring as we have and that you will take the time to learn more about him.
By applying his teachings, we can help students become lifelong learners and responsible citizens. Let’s work together to create a brighter future for all!