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Socrates And Plato's Role Of Education

1398 Words6 Pages
Chad Blenz
PHI 385-1
27 September 2016
Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle on Educational Foundation and its Societal Role
Socrates, Plato and Aristotle—three philosophers that laid the foundation for Western philosophy as we know it today. Their ideologies and approaches have proven a strong foundation for much western philosophy that has followed, particularly in regards to education and its current role in modern society. Socrates led the way with his push for truth and further reasoning, paving the road for Plato’s idealistic outlook, which led to the realistic view of Aristotle—each philosophy carving a new meaning and role of education within society. In this chain of teacher-student relationships, Socrates’ teachings directly shaped Plato’s and in turn Aristotle’s philosophy towards education and not only its meaning but also its role within society.
The oldest of the three philosophers, Socrates, was born 470 BCE and passed in 399 BCE. Socrates has been credited as one of the founders of Western philosophy. The majority of what we know about Socrates stems from the surviving body of published work of his students, such as Plato, and his written piece, The Apology. Socrates thought that the acquiring of knowledge meant to become virtuous, and virtue was necessary to achieve ultimate happiness. Socrates pushed for others to strive for self-knowledge and sought wisdom himself on a daily basis. He said that “…once we know ourselves, we may learn to care for ourselves, but
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