Philosophy of Plato and American Culture Research Paper

Philosophy of Plato and American Culture - Research Paper Example There are so many diverse cultures all around the globe which are based on some philosophies which can still be observed in the 21st century. Plato was one of the philosophers whose philosophy is eminent in the Western culture and it can be said that today’s American culture emanates the philosophy of Plato in a number of ways. According to Alfred North Whitehead, the safest generalization of the different characteristics of the Western culture is that it is based on the philosophy of Plato. The philosophy has not been adopted in a systematic way but it can be easily seen that the scattered ideas of Plato have been included in the culture (Lachs & Talisse, 2008). Platonism had already developed for a period of two millennia after Plato’s death after it had any influence on the American philosophy. There are a number of ideas found in the works of Plato that have played significant role in the development of American philosophy. The main three ideas that have influenced the American philosophy the most are; the importance of formal understanding of mathematics; the conception of nature as in process and the conviction that because of the roles of form in natural processes, value is a part of nature. Following is the comprehensive analysis of the influences that the philosophy of Plato has on the American educational structure and society in general. Plato’s Philosophy and American Education System American culture is influenced by Plato philosophy in some way or the other. There are a number of ways in which American culture intersects with Plato’s philosophy. One of the main examples is the system of State and education. Plato founded the basic concepts for a number of subjects which have been developed over time and they are taught in the educational institutes of America. Dialogues of Plato have been used in a wide range of subjects which include; mathematics, ethics, philosophy and logic. There are a number of ways in which people come across the philosophy of Plato, sometimes without even realizing it. Plato’s philosophy is considered to be the foundation for the democratic philosophies of education as he proposed a whole system of education. Plato always encouraged education in his philosophy and his teachings can still be observed in American culture. According to Plato; children with talent should be selected by the State from all the social classes regardless of the social position of the children. Plato considered children as the assets of the State and he suggested that the State should educate the children in order to make them eligible for the right kind of service to the State. Children should be educated in such a manner that they become fully trained for the kind of service they are to perform in the future. Plato suggested that the educated children may serve in; military services, city management and dialectic. The State should take the responsibility of the education of such talented ch ildren. According to Plato, the children should go through a comprehensive educational training which begins with gymnastics, music, and mathematics. Plato gave significant importance to the concept of mathematics and this philosophy of Plato has influenced American culture in a number of ways. The development of scientific methods in America