It is hard sometimes to remember that these words on this page come from 400 B.C. Platos thoughts and views and philosophies sometimes seems so modern it's scary. In the very beginning when he is addressing the accusation of taking peoples money for teaching them his philosophy he simply replies"
"Although, if a man were really able to instruct mankind, to receive money for giving instruction would, in my opinion, be an honour to him," (Pg. 9) I highlighted this quote because it says a lot about our society today. A lot of foreshadowing occurs here, which is a bit frighting because Plato has been dead for thousands of years. He says that to be paid to instruct mankind would be an honour, isn't that exactly what teachers get paid for? I mean to think back then, that receiving money for exchanging knowledge was a punishable thing is a bit mind bending. The culture and values were so different back then, people thought philosophy and instructions should be a god given thing, something that people can share with one another for free. It shouldn't be something you look to be compensated for, but rather just an exchange of one human beings ideas to another. However Platos point is still extremely valid, to receive money for instructing man kind, for just giving instructions would be a very honorable thing. In class we learned what the word honorable means, the dictionaries definition at least- and it is said honor is holding something or someone with the highest respects. To Plato receiving money for a job well done would in his book, be something held to the highest respects. Now is that to say in society today, receiving money for teaching is held to the highest respects? I feel as if the value of education has gone down hill so much since to beginning of language, there isn't much honor in any of it anymore.
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