Universe of Platonic Thought 2024

32nd International Conference “The Universe of Platonic Thought: Plato’s Heritage in the History of Science and Education”

Svetlana Yurievna Zimina, CSc in Philosophy; Hillsdale College (Hillsdale, MI, USA, Russia), Researcher; Hillsdale College (Hillsdale, MI, USA, Russia), Researcher

The legacy of antiquity and classical education (based on the United States)

Traditionally, in European science, the subject of political philosophy is defined as the doctrine of the state, forms of government and the problems of society. Although Plato devoted only a few dialogues to the subject, The Republic and some other dialogues are considered the beginning of political philosophy. The beautiful city is an ideal model of the polis, a model of state structure, where good is the main form (idea), the goal of social development. In this refraction, the problem relates to the philosophy of education, and other social problems, which are actively discussed today in debates, seminars and in scientific journalism. Even if these philosophical positions are not formalized in the form of fundamental scientific works, this direction of humanitarian thought, the foundations of which are in the philosophical tradition of antiquity, is of undoubted interest.

Keywords: political philosophy, ethics, society, state, education

As O. Wilde remarked, a map of the earth without utopia would not even be worth looking at, since this map ignores the country to which humanity always aspires. Progress is a form of realization of political utopias. The word comes from a combination of the Greek (ou-no) and (topos-place) and means a place that does not exist. In another meaning, a utopia is a perfect place (from a combination of the Greek 'best', 'perfect' and 'place'.) In the European tradition, utopia is an image of an ideal state, its model, an ideal social structure. Growing out of criticism of the present and its rethinking, utopia offers possible ways and variants of the future.

The word politics itself is consonant with and derived from the Greek polis. Plato is rightly considered to be the beginning of political philosophy (politics and ethics.)

As is well known, Plato condemned the two forms of state contemporary to him: democracy and tyranny; however, he also condemns timocracy (the power of the military) and oligarchy (the power of the landed aristocracy). He speaks of modern democracy as "the madness of the majority," which easily devolves into tyranny. To the four specific types of state he contrasts a model of the ideal state, which he calls "the beautiful city."

The soul has three parts (reasonable, furious and lowly); in the state there are three estates - rulers-philosophers (reasonable beginning of the soul), guards (furious part), farmers and artisans (lustful soul).

Such a state is virtuous: it is wise by the wisdom of its philosopher-rulers, courageous by the courage of its guards, and judicious by the obedience of the rest.

In the ideal state there are three estates. But sometimes Plato speaks of two. Since philosophers come out of the warrior-guards, he sometimes speaks of warrior-guards, also meaning philosophers.

The guards receive a good education - gymnastics and musical. Harmony is a combination of courage and gentleness, whereas only courage borders on rudeness, and gentleness with pampering and cowardice. Philosophers-governors come out of the guards, and such education extends to all guards, but philosophers among the guards are not immediately visible and only by selecting from the best one can choose philosophers.

Plato argues about art in education as follows: art is powerful, it penetrates to the soul and touches it most of all. Art makes men sturdy and courageous, believing in the good, unselfish and reasonable.

Not all art can serve these purposes: it is impossible to educate on the depiction of vice: the guards, brought up on vice, as on a bad pasture, will absorb so much evil - "day by day, in little things, but in numerous samples, that out of this, imperceptibly for themselves, a single great evil will take place in their souls". Art must be recreated: unrhythmic and disharmonious Lydian and Ionian harmonies are banished from music (unrhythmic and disharmony are correlated with malice and malignity; with flute and pampering). The Doric and Phrygian harmonies are left: they are consistent with human tunes and the sounds of lyre and kithara.

Myths should teach good, not evil, so myths intended for education are also strictly regulated (from Homer and Hesiod should be removed those places where the gods punish people not for their benefit, but for revenge, malice, or envy).

Philosophers are the most gifted and moral souls. A philosopher is inclined to knowledge, he loves truth, recognizes good (law). The selection of philosophers comes from those who can rise to true being. The basis of the sage's work is ethos (good), pathos (free speech), logos (reasonable judgment).

Socrates, Plato's teacher, Plato, and Aristotle are three thinkers whose texts begin the study of the history of political philosophy.

Today, the theoretical provisions of this direction of humanitarian thought are formulated in the works, speeches and statements of such representatives as Victor D. Hanson, William P. Barr.

The seminars and debates discuss education and upbringing, creativity, social inequality, solutions to migrant issues, notions of justice and personal freedom. Outreach work consists of developing and creating video lecture cycles on history, cultural history, and philosophy. Such online video lecture courses have begun to be developed since 2011 at Hillsdale College; over the period from 2019 to the present, video lecture cycles on ethics, history of Western European philosophy have been created for high school students as well as for the widest range of viewers and listeners.

The appeal to these problems is dictated not only by academic interest, but also by the need of the researcher to define his or her place in the space of humanitarian thought.