What Can We Learn from How Socrates Dominates Thrasymachus in Plato’s Republic?

Elizabeth Meadows

doi:10.7202/1072696ar

Abstract

In this paper I will show how Socrates dominated Thrasymachus by failing to create a relationship with Thrasymachus in which meaningful learning could occur. Although this is a negative example of how a teacher did not help a student learn, from it I believe that we can learn the importance of creating relationships with our students to help them learn and thereby modeling for them how to create such relationships with their students. Listening to, respecting, and responding to our students as they are, to their questions, and to their motivations to learn or not to learn are essential ways for us to help them learn what they and we believe is important for living fulfilling lives. This is justice in teaching.

Highlights

Article abstractIn this paper I will show how Socrates dominated Thrasymachus by failing to create a relationship with Thrasymachus in which meaningful learning could occur
In recent years, my education students have reminded me about how dominating and infuriating Socrates can be as a teacher
I believe I have shown how Socrates dominated Thrasymachus by failing to create a relationship with Thrasymachus in which meaningful learning could occur. This is a negative example of how a teacher did not help a student learn, from it I believe that we can learn the importance of creating relationships with our students to help them learn and thereby modeling for them how to create such relationships with their students

Summary

Article abstract

In this paper I will show how Socrates dominated Thrasymachus by failing to create a relationship with Thrasymachus in which meaningful learning could occur. Listening to, respecting, and responding to our students as they are, to their questions, and to their motivations to learn or not to learn are essential ways for us to help them learn what they and we believe is important for living fulfilling lives. This article is disseminated and preserved by Érudit. Its mission is to promote and disseminate research. https://www.erudit.org/en/

Introduction

Journal of the Canadian Philosophy of Educations Society

What Could Socrates Have Done Differently to Help Thrasymachus Learn?

Implications for the Teaching of Prospective Teachers

Conclusion