In Books II through IV of the Republic, Plato argues that censorship is necessary for good moral education of the guardians and auxiliaries of the kallipolis. In this paper, I will explain the purpose of moral education, Plato’s process of censoring of the student’s learning materials, and showcase that censorship is a necessary quality of good education. I proclaim that censorship is indeed essential for good education since it teaches the students to imitate the right people/actions and allows for the desires of the soul to be aligned toward reason.
Plato discusses that moral education for the guardians and auxiliaries consists of two parts: music/poetry and physical training; these two courses will ensure that the students are trained to …show more content…
Good education involves the students, the guardians and auxiliaries in training, learning how to distinguish foreign from familiar, just from unjust in a proper manner. However, bad education can meddle with this process. Bad education, according to Plato, decides to include the inaccurate depictions of Gods. These stories showcase deities as deceitful; they are able to change their appearance at will and utilize it for selfish desires that ultimately hurt other Gods and even human beings. If students are exposed to those false depictions, the falsehoods will implant itself into their souls. Younger people, like the students in training, are at an impressionable age; “the opinions they absorb at that age are hard to erase and apt to become unalterable” (Plato, 378d). Once the children are exposed to injustice, it is difficult to reverse, even if the children are instructed that those actions are unrighteous. If these actions are repeated, they will take root in their beliefs and character, forever corrupting their soul. Plato contends that it is best to not take that risk and instead expose the children to righteous actions and just role models. Virtuous deeds breed good character, which in turn, lead to guardians with good souls. Good souls are aligned toward reason; these souls pursue knowledge and are able to control their selfish, appetitive desires like food and drink. Overall, censorship of unjust and inaccurate depictions of Gods is a necessary characteristic of good education. Bad education will only produce guardians with tampered souls whose appetitive desires are not properly controlled by
Plato discusses that moral education for the guardians and auxiliaries consists of two parts: music/poetry and physical training; these two courses will ensure that the students are trained to …show more content…
Good education involves the students, the guardians and auxiliaries in training, learning how to distinguish foreign from familiar, just from unjust in a proper manner. However, bad education can meddle with this process. Bad education, according to Plato, decides to include the inaccurate depictions of Gods. These stories showcase deities as deceitful; they are able to change their appearance at will and utilize it for selfish desires that ultimately hurt other Gods and even human beings. If students are exposed to those false depictions, the falsehoods will implant itself into their souls. Younger people, like the students in training, are at an impressionable age; “the opinions they absorb at that age are hard to erase and apt to become unalterable” (Plato, 378d). Once the children are exposed to injustice, it is difficult to reverse, even if the children are instructed that those actions are unrighteous. If these actions are repeated, they will take root in their beliefs and character, forever corrupting their soul. Plato contends that it is best to not take that risk and instead expose the children to righteous actions and just role models. Virtuous deeds breed good character, which in turn, lead to guardians with good souls. Good souls are aligned toward reason; these souls pursue knowledge and are able to control their selfish, appetitive desires like food and drink. Overall, censorship of unjust and inaccurate depictions of Gods is a necessary characteristic of good education. Bad education will only produce guardians with tampered souls whose appetitive desires are not properly controlled by