Book Review: Education for Escaping the Cave: What Socrates Says About Teaching Children to be Just

Abstract

Introduction: Last year I taught a graduate course in education and philosophy to secondary and elementary school teachers and administrators entitled «Teaching Ethics across the Curriculum». The purpose of the course was to aid teachers as they sought to teach ethics to children, years before the children would enter college level ethics courses. The centerpiece of the course was Plato’s Republic, especially book VII, in which Socrates presents a model for the education of just citizens starting with the education of small children. Therein lies much thought that is helpful to teachers, parents and all who wish to teach children and themselves to live justly.