Kirsten Hipwell
ED200
11/26/13
Daily #6
Daily Regarding Plato’s Theory of “Gold, Silver, and Bronze”
Application: Is there Truth Behind the Theory?
Plato’s idealistic school was built upon his theory that there are three types
of students: there are students that are gold, in his view these would be the
philosophers, there are the silver or average students, and there are the bronze or
less developed students. If Plato’s theory were applied to all present day school
systems we would most likely find that students would be classified into these
categories at a very young age. Students would then be assigned career paths for
life, their education completely dependent upon their initial classification. I am in
opposition to this classification system. Students can show signs of improvement
and inspiration well into their educational experience, if educators limit their
environment for improvement and development the student may never reach its full
potential. I do not believe a student can be completely classified as either a gold,
silver or bronze student. There is gold, silver, and bronze in each of us, it is this
possession of each that allows us as a human race to individually specialize in
certain tasks, some of us possess talents that others do not, some of us can swim
well, some are extremely talented with numbers, some very good with technology.
We cannot say that these individuals are not gold, they are gold in the areas they
specialize in.
I find that it would be impossible for an individual to be gold in every aspect,
that would be a task so large the universe would not allow it. God, the all knowing
creator and his son Jesus Christ are the only two completely gold inhabitants this
earth has ever known.
As a future educator I find that it is important to recognize the truth behind
Plato’s theory, there is gold in each of us; we simply have to find the areas we, and
our students, specialize and work to pursue and develop in those areas. Though it is
important not to neglect the areas in our lives that are more silver or bronze, we
should always be striving to obtain the gold in each aspect of our lives.