Response for 9/14/11

Plato makes a distinction between the education a young child should receive and the education the guardians' should acquire when they are mature adults.
Plato believes that a young child should be taught by his parents a clear cut distinction between right and wrong. Plato writes in books II & III that parents should control the type of music, both fables (narrative music) and rhythmic music, their children are exposed to, and make it clear what is considered good and evil.
However, as a guardian becomes an adult, he is no longer protected by his parents; he hears and sees all forms of music. He must learn to reason so he can interpret what he sees and hears and then come to his own conclusions. He voluntarily learns arithmetic, geometry and astronomy to train the reasoning facility. The strong moral base and positive images from childhood can then be unconsciously used by the guardian in his decision making.