The sun., 1916-09-24

| form Of social control are Greek and Pla-
tonic truisms which the psychology OF
to-day ~rediscovers and r%eiterates with
amusing complacency. Prof. Ray Lam
kester actually asserted a few years ago
that It was the chief discovery Of the
past twenty-five years.
Tho doctrine as set forth by Plato
means. first, that ordinary education IL
In fact mainly the stamping OF the So
cial tradition upon the Individual. the
PRESSURE of the social mind through
n.,ny agencies. OF which the school Is
only one, upon the mind Of the child (:
secondly. 1t means, AZ the ~"Republic"
goes on to show and modern Prussia
illustrates on a gigantic scale. that any
one who can capture and control the
forces Of social suggestion has in the
edncation Of the young a most potent
instrument for moulding nd shaping
In his own image and to ms W ideal.
The early dialogues argue dramati-
cally that virtue cannot be taught, mean
ing that In 80 corrupt a society as fourth
century Athens II is not systematically
produced. but comes. II at all. by the
grace OF God. The Republic" proclaims
hat nothing except virtue can be taught
that can be inculcatcd by social pres
sure. But that pure intelligence IL n
divine nre which we ran feed hut not
kindle. II II a spiritual eye which the
teacher can turn to worthy objects. But
he cannot implant vision where II does
not exist. In this sense Emerson rightly
formulates Plato's concept Of intellectual
education when he says that truly
speaking Il Ia not instruction but provo
cation that I can receive from another
soul"
In the "Republic' Plato writes as a coll
leGe man describing the high school
course as a preparation for college. al
thoug he intends that II shall also meet
the needs Of the majority whose educa-
ton goes no further. In the Laws" ne
speaks rather az one interested in the
high school course as an end in itself.
though he Is throughout we'll aware that
for n select and selected minority II IL
only n beginning. s
Abraham Lincoln. ~ whom We lightly
say that he had no education. educated
himself In Platonic curricuium-nrst
geometry. then English law with It's in
sistence on definition and precise uses.
then full and logical discussion. He was
n Platonist ms being the keenest and
fairest debater America has produced.
Platonic in his power TO press the main
issue. discard ~!rrclevancies. distinguish
ambiguous terms. deal honestly with the
opponents case and argue Justly
throughout.
In short, the most obvious mark OF the
Platonic dialectic II that at every stage
OF the argument he saws: This word
has two or more possible meanings. I
intend this one which do you intend-'
That would sorelv embarrass polite con.
versation. But II Is the only way n
argue. And the ability 10 discuss all
questions in this way. and with unfail.
ing urbani;y. IL Plato's ideal Of the rom
p'etely educated man embodied In the
Socrates OF the dialogues.
Hardly less wonderful than the rest
the satire. the spiritual elevation OF thu
dialogues. their dramatic interest. their
literary charm. IL the pedagogical Gun.
ming with which they are constructed "a
reproduce what Plato admitted no writ.
ten word could quite supply. the iivins
word and flexible adaptations OF the per.
feet teacher.