Date of Graduation

5-2023

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy

Degree Level

Undergraduate

Department

Philosophy

Advisor/Mentor

Reece, Bryan

Committee Member/Reader

Stevens, Christopher

Committee Member/Second Reader

Bradshaw, Zachary

Abstract

In Book 3 of The Republic, Plato describes his perfect city, the kallipolis, ruled by select people with training in the liberal arts. The education of these few, whom Plato calls philosopher kings, is then explored in detail. The proper education of these philosopher king lasts until fifty years of age, and consists of basic education in the sciences at an early age, physical and musical training, years spent in dialectical discussion, and ultimately becoming a philosopher and finding what Plato calls ‘The Good.’ Plato believes that this complete liberal arts education should only be taken up by the most virtuous of society, but I believe that this type of education is the basis on how humans should live their lives. In this thesis, I will explore the liberal arts education of the philosopher kings in Plato’s Republic and argue that each person should live in this way. My ultimate goal in this thesis is to convince the reader that philosophic inquiry is the pathway to becoming content with life.

Keywords

Philosophy; Plato's Republic; Holistic Education

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