Plato’s Curriculum

Over two thousand years ago, a student of Socrates by the name of Plato established what is now known as the Academy. With its founding, a new method of educational thought was devised, one which unlike all others encouraged an education based not on any political ideal, but on the concept of freedom of thought and the just human soul. Revolutionary, it is unfortunate that Plato’s educational thought has little to no influence on the educational thought of today. Little is known by the modern North American public as to what the curriculum of Plato actually was, or more importantly what its value and purpose was, and how it substantially differed from today’s education. Some go as far to say that it is the only true alternative to the current political-based education. Looking back on one of his most famous books the Republic, one can find out exactly what Plato’s conception of philosophical education truly was.

One must first remember that Plato’s educational theory was one of preparation for free thought, and given an education for a just soul (the city referred to in the Republic is an image of the human soul). Normally in a political order, the soul is ordered in a hierarchal faction. On the top one finds desire. Second to that is reason, which is used to find a way to simply satisfy those desires. Finally is the will, or the mechanism in the soul that causes action. Not only does one have natural desires though, but often habitual desires from ones environment will be present, and often they will be so strong they will seem like natural desires. A soul ruled by desires will not just be in conflict within itself (conflicting desires for different things) causing disorder and an unjust soul, but will also be unable to engage in free thought, as you will be a slave to the political environment (in order to satisfy desires you need resources, so then need to co-operate with current political thought). Therefore a different ordering of the soul is required to solve these dilemmas.

That different ordering of the soul should consist not in a hierarchal arrangement, but in one in which reason and desire work harmoniously, and ones true desires and natural desires are found. Plato’s educational theory then should habituate its students to that ordering within their own soul. Such an ordering can be most effectively done through music and art.

In Plato’s curriculum however, not any type of music will due. It must be a type of music that make both reason and desire work together. So popular music or music appealing just to the desire must be avoided at all costs. An education in music must be given so as to give the student the knowledge and ability to use his/her reason when listening to music. The music itself must be a classical-style type of music, one in which such a form of music cannot be appreciated unless one uses both reason and desire. The student’s soul will be habituated into harmony is this way.

Music is one of the most pivotal parts Plato’s education, but it is not the only component of the begin stage. Studies in Art, Gymnastics, History, and Literature are also essential. All these again are in preparation for the harmonizing of the human soul, as well as preparation for free thought. Gymnastics can for example harmonizes the body and the soul. Literature is used to look at different combinations of reason and desire within the soul, and looking at different responses to the permanent, universal questions that free thought is concerned with. History is used to see how dogmas change over time, and as many philosophical works are written in continuity with those that came before. One must look at the history of philosophy to understand current ideas and arguments, as all current and popular ideas (such as human rights or multiculturalism) have their origins in the history of philosophy. What is most important throughout however is the use of primary sources, which is one must learn the original texts of the day in their original languages. All this is necessary at the first and primary stage of education. But again we are missing one important part of the first step.

That would be “this common thing that all kinds of art, thought, and knowledge use as a supplement to themselves, a thing that is necessary for everyone to learn among his first studies”^[1] which is the study of arithmetic or the science of quantity. The student should engage in simple mathematics, combinations and relations of numbers, as well as dealing with units. Again this is so that the student will understand the concept of numbers and be drawn to the knowledge of being (To be able to bring human thought into relation with the object of study). When one looks at an object one is simply looking at it in a visual sense and no other part of the soul is at work. However when number is brought into it, the intellect is activated and used. This brings one closer to the good (as seen in the image of the line of Plato in book six and seven ^[2]).

The simple learning of numbers is not enough however, and soon one must apply it to objects. This leads us to our second step to plain geometry (squares, triangles, areas, etc). This again brings one closer to knowledge of being and the good, and a true harmonization between thought and the object of study. Previous to this numbers were simply that, and not able to apply to anything. That is to say that previous numbers were simply that. “Each one equal to every other one, without the slightest difference between them containing no parts within itself”^[3] Thus these number must now be applied to an object. The study of geometry is permanent and constant (a line is always a line, and that a square is always a square). It teaches the student about permanency and universality (which may help encourage the student to look at permanent universal questions). This however is not far enough and a simple learning of plane geometry must be taken further to bring it closer to knowledge of being.

So then a more advance form of geometry must be undertaken, one that takes into account the depth of objects (such as cubes, pyramids, etc¼).  This is noted in the republic as the third study ^[4]. This then teaches how one would calculate an object one cannot necessarily see. This will show the student that one can learn about things beyond sense perception, beyond what one can simply see. This again will help to bring into relation thought and object.

To summarize up to this point, first one learns of numbers, then one adds length and width in measurements of numbers and quantities to make squares and the like. Then one adds depth making cubes and the like. Each time we come closer and closer to the knowledge of being and the good, each time adding more value to that journey. We are bringing our thought closer and closer in relation to the objects external to us. Each step in Plato’s curriculum advances further and further, building on previous knowledge. Finally we must add motion to our three dimensional objects, and so move on to the study of astronomy in terms of the motions of bodies or astrophysics (which is mentioned as the fourth study^[5]).

It is in astronomy that one can see the motions of objects and bodies the easiest. By calculating them out and using our previously gained experience in such knowledge, one can try yet further to bring one’s thought into relation with the objects in the external world.

This then leaves one more step in our education and that is to seek knowledge of the Good, the final stage of Plato’s education.  Using again the image of Plato’s line, after mathematical reasoning one finds dialectic or knowledge of being. Knowledge of music and the arts prepared the ordering of the soul needed for dialectal reasoning and philosophy. Then using first simple calculation, geometry, and finally studying motion in astronomy, one led closer and closer to putting human thought into relation with objects and being till one is led inevitably to the study of the Good.

Works Cited

Plato. The Republic of Plato. Trans. Allan Bloom. United States: Basic Books

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^[1] Plato Republic 522 C, translated by Allan Bloom

^[2] Plato Republic 509 D, 533 E – 534 A, translated by Allan Bloom

^[3] Plato Republic 526 A, translated by Allan Bloom

^[4] Plato Republic 528 E, translated by Allan Bloom

^[5] Plato Republic 528 E, translated by Allan Bloom

What kind of Canadian history should be taught?

History and its teaching to the masses are among the most controversial subjects found throughout life among all peoples and in all eras. History being taught in verse and poem in Ancient  and Classical Greece, was not much liked by men like Thuscidysis who wanted a history taught more on the basis on fact than on mythology and oral tradition. The Athenians manipulated history to show them as decedents of Gods, and founders of the Ionian settlements in Asia Minor to support their claim to their rule over them. In Rome, history was manipulated to show the Romans as decedents of the warriors of Troy, to show them as proud and noble warriors.  Even in recent days, Nazi Germany went to great lengths to teach its children the superiority of the German or Aryan race by teaching a form of history which showed that view. Throughout history, the teaching of past events has been manipulated to show the prevailing political and/or the common religious prejudices of society. Wither it was Ishamal or Isaac that Abraham almost sacrificed to God is still one of the most dividing issues between Judaism and Islam for example. Many of the current conflicts of today’s world are based on historical events and ideologies. So the controversy of the teaching of history is nothing unique to Canada sadly. However in an effort to deal with the conflict, are Canadian educators trying to remove it all together? When they do teach history, are they manipulating so horribly out of recognition so as to satisfy the fear of the teaching of a one sided history? What is the state of education of history in Canada, and if it is in a state less than ideal, how can we deal and improve upon that?

In the book “Who Killed Canadian History?” by J. L. Granatstein; Granatstein claims that in many universities throughout Canada, there has been an increase in the number of social, regional, and cultural history classes and the decrease in the number of political ones. At St. John’s Memorial University in 1994-1995, of the twenty one Canadian courses, none were political. In the University of Toronto, out of twenty seven, two were political history. At the University of Calgary, eight out of thirty, at the University of BC, eight out of sixteen. (Grand. Pg 64-65) This has all been done according to Granatstein in a effort to expand the scope of history to include all peoples, both those responsible for change and those that were affected by that change. Not only do we now study John A. Macdonald and Confederation, but we also learn of the history of women, minorities, the working class, etc.  However it is a scope that has grown too big. Now hardly any political history is taught, and as such could have a detrimental effect on many of our Canadian graduates. “..unlike almost all those’s nation’s graduates (American, French, German), the Canadians know little about their own country’s history.” (Grand. Pg 66) Too many graduates are learning about  more regional and smaller histories than the grand national ones of the past. The attempt to learn more about everyone has become a call to ignore the past achievements of the political history of Canada. “The old (political) was swept away almost completely. The new (social) historians effectively and efficiently took over Canadian history…” (Grand. Pg 58)

However why is it important that graduates learn about Canadian history in the first place? “Many of the history teachers in the primary and secondary schools and in the universities are drawn from these graduates.  They teach what they know, and, in too many cases, they know nothing at all about the national history of Canada…. uneducated teachers produce uneducated students.” (Grand Pg 66) A focused national history is not taught in the universities Granatstein states, and so because of this, you will produce generations of the blind following the blind.

However is political history not being taught in the universities across this country? As A. B. McKillop states “ What Granatstein seems incapable of understanding is that.. recent works in social history are marked by an expansion of historians understanding of what ‘politics’ is.” (CHR Forum Pg 291) The definition of politics and nation are being racially altered in today’s environment. What Granatstein is observing is not an elimination of political history, but an explanation of it. “Politics… is found and practiced in struggles over the exercise of power in everyday life.” (CHR Forum Pg 291) Now instead of just learning about what went on in the legislatives of the Canada, we learn about what happened it the homes of those people as well. Not only that, but the value of the nation-state as a framework of history is also under scrutiny. The events of Canada’s past are not being ignored, but rather being re-organized into different structures in the form of immigrant’s history, women’s history, labour history, and the old form of political history.  What we are seeing in the words of McKillop is a “division of labour among historians.” As such more books on Canadian history are being written now then ever before. (The number of books reviewed in CHR in 1963: 44, The number of books reviewed in CHR in 1997: 107) Even Granatstein states “In most Canadian University history departments, there are more Canadian specialists than anything else” (Grand. Pg 55)

So as for the state of our graduates, one can conclude that because of this diverse amount of material, it would be harder than ever to become one. “The bibliography used when preparing his own major field examinations (graduate student) could in theory number books in the thousands…” (CHR Forum Pg 289) Hardly a case of the blind leading the blind. Now more than ever an education in the many fields of history are now giving graduates a more diverse and more encompassing knowledge of past events. One can hope that educated teachers can also produce educated students.

However some believe that Canada would best be served if its citizens were never to learn of its past at all. What purpose does the past serve us if it seems only to divide us? Look toward Quebec, with its endless threats to divide based on claims of a unique and different past and history from the rest of Canada. Its can even be found in its licence plate, which when translated say “We shall not forget!” Look at our mistreatment of the original peoples of this land, would we not best be served if we could put it all behind us and forget past injustice. The learning of regional histories serves further to divide us. What purpose is there in the teaching of history, why should we learn about past events if they only serve to divide us?

This is all true; the teaching of Quebec’s history and other regional histories has given many a reason to divide. Many state it’s only a matter of time before the whole of Canada is divided up, or swallowed by the American presence. Ironically if many of us knew our history, such grim prophecies could be disproven. When stating the question “Why should Canada stay together?” why not start by asking the question “Why did Canada unite in the first place?” For those of you that don’t know, Canada was formed at a time when the threat of invasion by the United States was high. The United States were involved in a bloody civil war, and many feared the war could spread northward when the war was over. The sentiment was high, that all the Americas should unite under the American flag, an idea Canadians did not like. So a few Canadian colonies on the Eastern half the continent united in 1867 as the Dominion of Canada. Although not quite an independent nation, it was a step in the right direction.

How can the French and English ever co-operate with each other. There are many instances in which the two “foes” united. Both in Upper and Lower Canada (Ontario and Quebec), government leaders came together to try to force the idea of representive government toward the British in England. How can both Aboriginal peoples and other Canadians ever get along? Well look at the alliances between Europeans and Aboriginals in the days of Cariter and the Hudson Bay Company. How have Canadians avoided assimilation into the United States? Remember that Canada was founded as a nation of united colonies not wishing to be part of the United States.

When one wishes to look at why things are the way they are, one can look toward history. When one understands the reason upon which certain events happened, maybe we can also use it to show how we can solve our problems, or how to avoid the pitfall our predecessors fell into. The old saying that “Those that do not know of the past are doomed to repeat it” rings true on many fronts.