More than just a mere presentation of the defense of Socrates, the “Apology” maintains in its bloodstream several ideals that are inevitably relevant up to this very day. Among which are assertions concerning the honing of the youth. As Socrates roughly probes Meletus thousands of years ago and challenges him to stand by his claim by asking, “Who improves the young?,” the society of today is also being asked with the very same question not by Socrates anymore, but perhaps, by those who, like Socrates, want to change the status quo of the rotting educational system of the country.
Standing by such principles, this paper seeks to look at the “Apology” as a semi if not complete guideline for improving the way men
[1] and not just children are trained in this country. The scope of training is hereby expounded not just to the literal young but to everyone else in the age scheme. Hence, ideally, the “honing” should encompass every age and all walks of life. This also seeks to give an exploration of possible practical learning and the corresponding application that a man should grasp from nativity to death and how this may be achieved.
[2] Furthermore, this also aims to look at the possibility of incorporating Socratic principles as a binding force for a better and more substantial training of the youth, and if possible, all.
Ills of Current Educational System
What has been the perennial problem of Socrates until the very time that he is facing the charges against him is how to ward-off the biases against him inflicted not just by his immediate accusers but a lot as well of those he considered as the nameless others. And hence we find him saying:
“…they got hold of most of you when you were children, and they have been more persistent in accusing me untruthfully and have persuaded you that there is a certain Socrates, a wise man, who speculates about the heavens, and who investigates things that are beneath the earth, and who can make weaker reason appear stronger.”
[3] There are actually two things that Socrates might try to bar from here: the fact that most people are not ready to learn or unlearn and the fact that there are still those “so-called-educators” who consider themselves as the epitome of knowledge inside the classroom. The vantage point of both would always fall on the fact that social indoctrination is still prevalent even in the midst of our learning communities. The “I-know-everything” and “I-have-more-knowledge-than-you” mentalities have pushed students to the dregs leaving them without any stamina to further their quest in knowledge. Anyhow, they may just be considered here as educational sub-lessors who seem to be at the mercy of the acclaimed masters, a recurrence of the false golden rule of education, “No student could be greater than his master.” What has been apparently the advantaging difference in Socrates’ ideal is the unwavering challenge to think outside the box, to reflect, and to help others in giving birth to their own ideas.
The root of this problem may easily be seen under the light of the immediate claim of Socrates about those who say that they are wise, but in fact, they are not. But for his advantage and as a proof that he is wiser, he says:
“I seem at any rate (wiser) than he is on this point: I do not think that I know what I do not know.”
[4] It is gullible to assume that when you know one thing, you assume that you know everything. By here, Socrates is evidently expanding his educational horizon, that it should not be limited in certain respects. And in any other way, it implies a sort of an architect’s perspective overseeing the wholeness and reflecting what should be done. In line with this is another emerging problem in the system of education. The learning perspective in a particular field of study is continuously narrowing down because more and more sub-fields are introduced as new courses. It may be healthy in a way but it turns out to make only products that are masters of a particular field and not someone who has the capacity to look at all things in general. Then, it should be a no-wonder why the Philippines seem to experiment on who should be the president is, an economist, a general, a feminist, a dictator or even an actor.
While Socrates claims this and not receives anything in return, those who claim that they are wise but are questionable in that respect insist for payment. This contrast is still apparent in our current system of education. Moreover, the price tag of education has seemed to exceed its should-be-ceiling-mark producing big effects on increase of out of school youths. Major universities even those that consider themselves as missionary ones have increased their own cost to educate. This phenomenon raises the first possible one that there is: Will the amount of money paid affect the knowledge you can have? And many other more questions should follow. It is a no wonder then that for practical reasons, students seek to study fields that might just give them the best salary they could get as a replacement for every single buck they spent for their studies. The thing here is the fact that the consideration is not anymore relying on the knowledge one can have but the money one can get.
The Incorporation of Philosophy
How can these ills be possibly solved? First and foremost, every aspect of the educational system shall be scrutinized. As Socrates intends, there should be this certain ‘examination’ that should be like an introspection in the entire system. This could only be possible if the gates would be open for changes and wider horizon, be explored. This may only happen through the aid of philosophy.
In the ‘Republic,’ it might be inferred that Socrates intends to build the (near-to-perfect) community around a developing sense of wisdom, or ‘knowledge of the whole.’ Education must be seen in this sense. When one tries to educate, the approach should never the less be holistic in nature. If there would be one field that seeks to study things in their totality and places one into a state of wonder, it is philosophy. Nevertheless, the rulers Socrates wanted to be appointed in the Republic are those who engage in Philosophy.
As the fact brings, everyone, as long as they are thinking, do philosophize. It is not an alien discipline to each of us. However, what makes it trashed is the fact that not all of us dare to pursue this quest of thinking.
The apparent problem is philosophy has been tainted by several misconceptions like assertions that philosophy is a very puzzling subject or one that seems to absorb you up to the dregs. Common students also consider basic philosophy subjects as ‘nosebleed’
[5] in their nature. In the very least of the terms, this may only be solved if the art of philosophizing will be encouraged among the young ones.
As a child starts to ask and question things around him, an inner voice calling him to know the world is apparently born and his capacity to reason starts to broaden its horizons. This is the manifested beginning of inclining one’s self in philosophizing. This shall not be stopped by any means or any social indoctrination. Rousseau, in his turn, asserted some developmental ideas, urging that “education must utilize natural desires and prune away artificial elements.” The ability of the child to question things around him is this thing called, “natural desire.” Developing this natural desire promptly will lead the child to be rational and this will help him in voicing out his ideas.
For them to develop this skill in the younger generations, educators of today shall be like Socrates through his image of him, being like a midwife, helping the younger generation to give birth for new ideas. This leads us to the subject of how is it really to educate?
If Socrates will be asked in this matter, he would emphasize that education will not be about the multiplicity of disciplines that will be introduced. Rather, his education curriculum will only include the balance of two things, music and gymnastics. The former is inclined for the soul and the latter one is for the body. Simplistic as it may seem but these two are the really important ones because they have their aim in the training. Hence, education shall always be focused on its best end and not settle for anything less. Nowadays, other fields are being introduced for no internal gain at all. Freedom from this narrow perspective is a must. This is what philosophy tries to attain all along, to comprehend life in all its simplicity and gain the benefits thereof. The key is to think and to rethink all over again about everything.
[6]The Honing Achievement
There are more to say but nevertheless, Socrates will still prefer to save the best for us to think upon. So never cease thinking. This is the very step corresponding to a practice that man can practically use from nativity until death. Education is a continuous process. It doesn’t stop at the last day of schooling. It is simultaneously occurring while we are at work or even if we are on our bed before sleeping.
And in the end, it shall be asked, “Will learning be limited only to students?” This question should always bear the negative answer, “no.” It is because the “honing” process should not be limited to the young alone. It shall include everyone. Furthermore, it should be seen as a continuous process, one that sets and sail at the time of birth until death, or maybe, even beyond. And Socrates sees to it that even he, who is considered as the wisest man according to the Oracle of Delphi, is still learning. That is why he claims that he doesn’t know everything. That is why, he dares to ask. And that is why he never presumes about things that are unknown for him as of the moment, just like death. Hence, towards the end of the book, Socrates says:
“Either the dead man wholly ceases to be and loses all consciousness or, as we are told, it is a change and a migration of the soul to another place… Whether life or death is better is known to God, and to God only.”
[7] To be learned is not just to know the basics that one ought to learn. It entails exploration of further depths and the unceasing drive to speculate and at least, be rationally pregnant enough to give birth on new ideas. One could only say that he has achieved much of the merits of the honing process if he thinks that there is more to learn and this learning could not be attained solely in his own lifetime.
[1] “Men” here is used instead of children because the writer of this paper believes that education is a continuous process starting from early childhood until death. This idea is faithful to the notion of Socrates that the only thing that he knows is that in fact, he knows nothing. What a man should desire is to learn more. And the introspection rendered by education should be seen by everyone in the eyes of the young ones desiring to know more. It may also be inferred that one bold characteristic of the young is their vast treasury of ideals.
[2] It may be inferred that at the end of the “Apology,” Socrates gave his treatise about death that might make one realize that the actuality of education encompasses even the life after death (if there is any of that sort) since knowledge of death and if it is better or not would only be known to one after his earthly life.
[3] c.f. Apology, p. 8.
[4] ibid, p. 11.
[5] It is a lingo used by students to characterize subjects seemingly hard to comprehend.
[6] For further readings, please refer to the Laws of Plato.
[7] ibid, pp. 26-27.
