One of the most influential philosophic pieces of all time, Plato’s Republic is an astounding dialogue that helped outline the definition and system of justice for hundreds of years to come. The text still has as much emphasis on politics and philosophy today as it did in Ancient Greece. However, Plato did not just tackle the idea of a ‘republic’ and the ‘just man.’ This Greek philosopher also approached ideas of moral education within a republican society, though not as explicitly as he did with justice and morality in general.

Philosophical education is Plato’s main concern. His text, The Republic, uses another great philosopher – Socrates – as a mouthpiece, and through Socrates, Plato describes an ideal system of moral education. First of all, Plato believes mankind needs to be taught morality – as opposed to other philosophers that believed ‘goodness’ to be innate. He has also believed in the establishment of a just system – but a just system can only be upheld when individuals are morally educated enough to uphold it. Moral education, Plato believes, is the backbone of a just society. Not only should a system of moral education be in place when children are young, but such teachings should be repeated and upheld fervently for years – at least until the child reaches adulthood. By carefully and passionately instilling moral virtues in society’s youth, the society can better guarantee a just tomorrow. However, such education would require careful consideration on the part of the teacher.

Luckily, Plato also outlines teaching methods that would help students develop moral virtues. Plato believes that using a Socratic method – a style of dialect based on asking and answering questions – teachers can better help students to understand the depth behind moral reasoning and moral choices. Using the Socratic method when addressing moral problems can aid students in understanding correct solutions and think critically about the implications of individual actions. Since there is not ‘right’ answer to these kinds of questions, students would not be conforming to a rigorous set of standards; rather, they would be thinking philosophically, using their own minds to discover deep moral values.

In the end, Plato advocates that only truly educated men can uphold moral virtues and establish a just society. As with any subject or concept, one cannot become an expert without thorough study and applied practice; it is the same, Plato believes, with morality. Moral virtues must be explicitly taught, discussed and practiced in order to be ingrained into individuals for life.