In Books II and III of The Republic, Socrates sets the stage for a view of education for the warriors in the culture, asserting a need for the study of different disciplines, including art and athletics. Though this provides a sense of Plato's perspective on education, his outlining of educational premises in Book VII, including his view of rational though, education, and the responsibilities of both the student and the teacher in his "Allegory of the Cave" defines a call for a curriculum in education based on the directives and significance of the student, and can be asserted as the foundations of modern liberal arts educational philosophies. In order to understand the different views on education provided by Plato, it is first necessary to consider the messages provided in Book II, Book III and Book VII. Plato initiates his discourse on education through the dialogue of Glaucon, Adeimantus and Socrates and their perspective onthe appropriate education of the guardians of any polis. The warriors, soldiers or guardians of a city are a separate class of people, and distinguished by their knowledge and deduction to the central elements of society. Because of their distinctions and their need to understandwisdom and make appropriate and "educated" choices, the education of the guardians is a necessary component in defining self-protection. It is Socrates' (and therefore Plato's) assertion that there is a need to educate the guardians in musical and physical areas, and to promote a correlation between participation as a warrior and educational prowess. In other words, it was Socrates' contention that it was not enough to simply educate a guardian in warfare, but instead, their role necessitates an understanding of other premises, including history, song, art, philosophy and even literature. It is also Plato's assertion in the last segment of Book II that one of the failings of society is the fact that myths of valor and feats of stre...
