The Meaning, Purpose and Function of Higher Education for Plato Essay Example for Free

The Meaning, Purpose and Function of Higher Education for Plato Essay Plato believed in an ‘ideal state,’ the Republic, which is ruled and sustained by an ‘ideal’ group of people whose main objective should be to seek their highest good for the benefit of both the state and the society. â€Å"Only those who know what the good is are fit to rule†(Oxford Companion to Philosophy, 1995).   To know what is good, one has to â€Å"undergo long and rigorous intellectual training that will yield this knowledge† (p. 1541). Plato believed that the function of education is to help people embody their true nature of good because they will become the fuel that will keep the Republic running. Here, higher education is meant to pave the way for the development of the individual because it is crucial to the Republic’s existence. The failure of an individual to reach his highest good, albeit in theory of a secondary importance, would be the failure of the state as a whole.   In Plato’s view, it is the development of the individual, supported by education, which serves as the groundwork of the Republic and ensures that the latter does not collapse.   One can say that it is truly education which holds the state’s future in its hands. The true purpose of Higher Education is best depicted in Plato’s Allegory of the Cave. The Allegory of the Cave represents the different levels of knowledge that man must go through in order to achieve enlightenment.   Men were depicted as cave-dwellers in the depths of nothingness where there is a total absence of knowledge. â€Å"Most mankind dwell in the darkness of the cave. It is the function of education to lead men out of the cave into the world of the shadow† (Tulio, 2005).   Those who are able to escape the confinements of the cave would able Meaning, Purpose and Function of Higher Education for Plato to acquire the knowledge that will lead to their evolution and form the ruling elite who will sustain the Republic. According to Kemerling (n.d.): â€Å"The highest goal in all of education, Plato believed, is knowledge of the Good; that is, not merely an awareness of particular benefits and pleasures, but acquaintance with the Form itself. Just as the sun provides illumination by means of which we are able to perceive everything in the visual world, he argued, so the Form of the Good provides the ultimate standard by means of which we can apprehend the reality of everything that has value† (Kemerling, n.d). Plato believed that education is a right given to a few. He saw society as a conglomeration of individuals organized into different classes â€Å"according to the value of their role in providing some component part of the common good† (Kemerling, n.d.). In this set-up, it is the person’s social class which determines whether he should be educated or not. Plato thought that the philosopher-class should have the right to receive education because â€Å"it is the philosopher above all others who excels at investigating serious questions about human life and at judging what is true and best† (n.d.). Dillon (2004 as cited in Plato’s Republic) also added:   Ã¢â‚¬Å"†¦those fit for a guardians education must by nature be philosophic, spirited, swift, and strong.† The guardians must be lovers of learning like noble puppies who determine what is familiar and foreign by knowledge and ignorance† (Dillon, 2004). The problem with this kind of set-up is that only a few are permitted to improve themselves while the rest of the world is forced to fulfill the roles that society has imposed upon them. Meaning, Purpose and Function of Higher Education for Plato Kemerling (n.d.) explained the importance of the future role of philosophers: â€Å"Thus, despite prevalent public skepticism about philosophers, it is to them that an ideal society must turn for the wisdom to conduct its affairs properly. But philosophers are made, not born. So we need to examine the program of education by means of which Plato supposed that the future philosopher-kings can acquire the knowledge necessary for their function as decision-makers for the society as a whole† (Kemerling, n.d.) Plato viewed the development of the individual as serving an autocratic social usefulness as far as education is concerned (although most believe that Plato advocated democratic principles in his theory of education). Education for the popular mass was never Plato’s ideology. He advocated educational reforms intended only for the philosopher and the warrior class. â€Å"Plato believed that the interests of the state are best preserved if children are raised and educated by the society as a whole, rather than by their biological parents† (Kemerling, n.d). The true essence of self-actualization, therefore, was just a privilege given to this ruling class because of their access to education.   It did not have any self-serving interests even if self-development was an initial pre-requisite for the success Plato’s ideal state. Education is solely for the purpose of the good of the Republic. Oxford Companion to Philosophy (1995) stated:   Ã¢â‚¬Å"They will govern with a view to maximizing the happiness of the state as a whole, but Plato thinks that the way to achieve this is to impose a strict censorship to prevent wrong ideas being expressed, to ensure that each person sticks to his Meaning, Purpose and Function of Higher Education for Plato own allotted job, so that he does not meddle with affairs that are not his concern, and so on. Plato was firmly against democracy, and seems to have seen no connection between happiness and individual liberty† (Oxford Companion to Philosophy, 1995). But as much as education serves a state function, it cannot completely detach itself from its secondary aims of self-development. According to Scolnicov (n.d) in his paper Plato on Education as the Development of Reason, â€Å"the ultimate educational objective, then, is to bring about a revolution in the educands perception of the role of reason† (Scolnicov, n.d).   He continued, â€Å"Platos theory of education aims at specifying the conditions of the growth of the socratic man, whose soul is free from contradictions and whose excellence is justified knowledge† (n.d). For Plato, man’s rationality can be shaped through an educational curriculum that teaches these specific subjects: music, story-telling and gymnastics. Musical education should be started in childhood because it is an age where children are still ‘pliable.’ There should be censorship in the telling of tales because children still do not possess the quality to discern what is good and bad.   It is Plato’s view that children have no moral nature when they are born, but education will instill in them virtues of courage, moderation and justice that will help them seek the nature of good. â€Å"Through the telling of carefully crafted tales, mothers and nurses will shape their childrens souls (Dillon, 2004 as cited in Plato’s Republic). Meaning, Purpose and Function of Higher Education for Plato The narrative style of tales is the second part of the ‘philosophical education.’   Imitation or Mimetic poetry is only acceptable if the individual will imitate virtues that were taught to them in childhood. Crafting of tales are important â€Å"because they are the most effective method of educating guardian’ souls† (Dillon, 2004). Here, one can see that rationality does not only pertain to reason (of the mind) but also of the soul. Gymnastic education, on the other hand, affirms the symbiotic relationship between the mind, the body and the soul: all the components that lead to the total development of the individual. For Plato, â€Å"that a good soul produces a good body, and that a healthy intellect ensures a healthy body† (Dillon, 2004 as cited in Plato’s Republic). One component missing will ultimately result in the demise of the other. Dillon   (2004) stated: â€Å"Although music is the most important component in the guardians education, equilibrium between music and gymnastics is important for the production of moral guardians. Because a solely gymnastic education causes savagery and a purely musical education causes softness, the two must be balanced† (Dillon, 2004). The educational requirements of learning music, story-telling and gymnastics would determine who will ultimately become the guardians of society. Those who are able to possess the nature of good throughout the educational process will win over those who â€Å"will rebel against the city’s ideology† (Dillon, 2004). Meaning, Purpose and Function of Higher Education for Plato References Cornford, F. (translator) (1945). The Republic of Plato. London: Oxford University Press. Dillon, A. (2004). Education in Plato’s Republic. Retrieved December 25, 2007 from http://www.scu.edu/ethics/publications/submitted/dillon/education_plato_republic.html Honderich, T (ed.) (1995). Oxford Companion to Philosophy. New York: Oxford   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  University Press. Kemerling, G. (n.d.). Plato: Education and the Value of Justice: Plato Life and Works. Retrieved December, 25, 2007 from http://www.philosophypages.com/hy/2h.htm. Tulio, D. (2005). Historical, Philosophical, Legal and Technological Foundations of Education II. Manila: National Bookstore Publication. Scolnicov, S. (n.d.). Plato on Education as the Development of Reason. Retrieved December 25, 2007 from http://www.bu.edu/wcp/Papers/Anci/AnciScol.htm

The Internet as a Beneficial Learning Tool for Students Essay -- Inter

The Internet as a Beneficial Learning Tool for Students The Internet, commonly referred to as the â€Å"information superhighway,† is a tool that has been introduced to classrooms around the world because of its popularity, which has been gaining steadily in the past years. The Internet is a network of computers in which users can share files and complete many other tasks. Many people and groups have voiced concerns of whether the Internet’s benefits in classroom and educational use outweigh the negative effects. From recent studies and personal experiences, I have come to the decision that the benefits certainly outweigh the negative effects. I believe that the students who use information technology such as the Internet regularly in their schoolwork are benefiting greatly rather than losing out. The Internet is information technology that has been said to have many downfalls for students when being used in the education process. Some areas of the country have limited access to computers and the Internet. These students who have limited resources would be falling behind by pushing more online work on the students who do have access to the resources. In my paper I have described methods which I think will help bridge this â€Å"digital divide† that has been created. Another example problem that is created when information technology such as the Internet is brought into classrooms is that things change quicker than teachers can keep up with. â€Å"This places a special burden on already overworked teachers to continue learning new resources and changing their teaching methods.† (LaRose, 2000) There are several ideas, studies, and experiences to battle the problems that I have previously laid out. The first supporting fact that I ... ...teachers that fall behind because of the rapidly changing technology can be solved swiftly will a few grants from the U.S. Department of Education and the implementation of new online programs to help ease pressures. Although there maybe a few glitches that need to be worked out, in a short time I feel it will completely necessary for tomorrow. WORKS CITED â€Å"Digital Divide.† 24 January 2001. â€Å"Digital Divide: Classrooms: Voices.† 24 January 2001. Internet. Edwards, Jack, M.D. Robyler. Integrating Educational Technology into Teaching. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2000. â€Å"E Learning: Putting a World-Class Education At The Fingertips of All Children.† 24 January 2001. LaRose, Robert, Joseph Straubhaar. Media Now: Communication Media in the Information Age. United States: Wadsworth, 2000. â€Å"The Power of the Internet for Learning.† 24 January 2001. Internet.

Accepting Rejection and Rejecting Acceptance Essay

Dreamers are most likely to be the kinds of people who are prone to rejections and disappointments. I was once a dreamer who aimed to reach for certain heights which I believed were essential to my so-called â€Å"fulfilled life†. When I was young, I was in love with stories as poets are obsessed with their muses. There was something sensuously tempting about the idea of creating a world where your personal ideals exists and the place you have always longed to belong with is just around the corner of your imagination. I create stories in my head with such a passionate gesture that I would place a pen and paper beside my pillow and even talk to my characters alone in my room. I enjoyed conversing with their silent responses and violent whispers which led to a gradual creation of plots and conflicts. They became my friends and literary partners who helped me out with the stories that I wish to tell. My room suddenly became a place where stories transpire and manifest themselves on typewritten manuscripts. Every time I take a look at my drafts, they seemed to show a particular eagerness to be shown out there in public. I could not help but smile and absorb the eagerness too. When I was 16 years old, I took all my guts to show my four of my friends a freshly-written manuscript and asked them to give it a quick scan. They were just my friends and not even a publisher but it had been one of the most thrilling and suspenseful time of my life. The next day, two of my friends told me that they were not really that happy with my work. They thought it was boring. See more:  Manifest Destiny essay The other two did not even dare finish it. My story obviously was not good enough. However, I never lost hope. I knew I had a great story to tell filled with remarkable characters that were destined to be perpetually remembered such as Harper Lee’s Atticus Finch and Mark Twain’s Tom Sawyer. I knew there was something special about these people that I wish to free from my imagination and introduce to the real world. But I have failed them. I began to feel like a loser who pretended to be Superman by promising these creatures freedom from the clutches of a writer’s sporadic imagination. That depressing day gave me the realization that not only my work was rejected. It was the entirety of my ideal world that they have dismissed and discarded as something that was unacceptable and boring. I was a wreck. Suddenly, I began to despise the room which once seemed to provide me all the gladness in the world. Apparently, I have expected a lot from myself. I gave myself and these characters false hopes that one day we would be known for our uniqueness and greatness. Obviously, the world does not revolve that way. It rotates the other way around against the normal rotation of an insipid clock. Five years later, when I was trying to clean up my room, I visited my old box where my old manuscript was and started reading it after a very long time. I could not help but laugh about how amateur it had been at that time. The world that I have created in that story is absolutely not the world that I imagine to be ideal in the present time. The characters appeared to be some kids taken out directly from a teen flick. Rejection plays a brutally important role in a person’s development and growth. Without criticisms, one cannot experience the beautiful feeling of maturity. Truly, I have lost a great deal of positivism and childish enthusiasm when the first story that I dared to print for my friends received negative reviews. I have not printed and showed another story to someone for a long time after that incident. I have lost my personal communication with my characters. Meaning to say, they have stayed in their world as I have stayed in mine. That rejection made me realize that being too overly passionate about something is not healthy as it can ruin an aspect in your life that is essential. I could have gone mad if I have stayed drowned in my own pool of rejections. However, I finally came into realization that creating your own world by writing stories does not give you an assurance that other people are willing to share that world with you. Most of the time, you just have to keep that wonderful place hidden because it is your—and yours alone.

Finally (7) When An Entrée Is Sold Separately It Cannot

finally; (7) When an entrà ©e is sold separately it cannot have more than four grams of fat for every hundred calories and cannot be more than 450 calories (OregonLaws.org, 2015). Drinks for schools with students in fifth grade or younger cannot have caffeine and may only consist of water, vegetable or fruit juices that is one hundred percent juice that is either natural or diluted with water. The juice cannot have extra sweeteners and must be 120 calories or less a cup. Milk is also permissible as long as it is low fat or fat free contains 150 calories or less per cup. In grades between 6th -8th the serving sizes go up to ten ounces, but the calorie amount remains the same. In a school were the highest level of students are in 12 grade,†¦show more content†¦However, the crucial support came from the Oregon Senate and the Oregon House. The Bill passed the Senate with a 22-5 majority. These Senators included: Alan Bates, Joanne Verger, Vicki Walker, Jackie Winters, Gary G eorge, Ryan Deckert, Elizabeth Johnson, Richard Devlin, Kate Brown, Avel Gordly and Bernard Westlund. Some of the Senators who were against the Bill were Jeff Kruse, and Larry George (VoteSmart, 2007). The Bill passed the House 46-11. The members of the House of Representatives that voted for the Bill include: Jean Cowan, Victor Gilliam, Chuck Riley, Scott Bruun, Jackie Dingfelder, and Gene Whisnant. The following are some of the members of the House who voted against the bill: Susan Morgan, Kevin Cameron, Vicki Berger, Brian Boquist and Kim Thatcher (VoteSmart, 2007). The organizations behind the passing of the Bill included, the American Diabetes Association, Community Health Partnership, Oregon Dietetics Association, Oregon Health Science University, Oregon Medical Association, Oregon Nurses Association, Stand for Children and Upstream Public Health, among others (Morrisette, 2007). Policy History HB2650 is not the first law that has been passed in regards to concerns for the health of children. In 1946 the National School Breakfast and Lunch Program was started in the United States by the Food and Nutrition Service which is a branch of the USDA because of the low number of men whoShow MoreRelatedOrganizational Culture by Charles Handy29094 Words   |  117 PagesControl 2 | |55 | |(Quantities) | | | |Chapter 7 – Monitoring Foodservice Operations 1 | |61 | |(Monthly Food Cost) | | Read MoreSwot Analysis25582 Words   |  103 PagesEnd of Book Case Studies 16/7/03 3:16 PM Page 642 end-of-book End-of-book: Case studies Q 643 case studies 19 Think design and performance— think Sunbeam Cafà © Series Nicole Stegemann, School of Management and International Business, University of Western Sydney Limited, a manufacturer of pumps, filters and security products. GUD’s acquired Sunbeam in 1996. After catering for predominately female needs, it was the male population’s turn to benefit from Sunbeam’s innovationsRead MoreRetailing Characteristics of Fast Food Stores and Their Impact on Customer Sales and Satisfaction29639 Words   |  119 Pagescent remain single-country merchants. This globalization trend can only intensify in the years ahead. The benefits of increased sales and greater economies of scale are too large to be ignored. where the world wide retail sales alone is valued at $ 7 trillion . The top 200 retailers alone account for 30% of worldwide demand. Retail sales being generally driven by people’s ability (disposable income) and willingness (consumer confidence) to buy, compliments the fact that the money spent on householdRead MoreStrategy Safari by Mintzberg71628 Words   |  287 Pagesand Joseph Lampel All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. THE FREE PRESS and colophon are trademarks of Simon Schuster Inc. Designed by Carla Bolte Manufactured in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 Permissions acknowledgments appear on pages 393-395. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Mintzberg, Henry. Strategy safari: a guided tour through the wilds of strategic management / Henry Mintzberg, Bruce Ahlstrand, Joseph Lampel