Plato, an Athenian philosopher, was the first man to present a theory of education. He was a student of Socrates who influenced much of his work. He is best known for his work entitled The Republic. The main question he entertained regarded justice. Within that discussion of justice, he examines his theory of education. His elitist theory is a systematic one, which concludes that education is for the ruling class. He believed that education and justice are connected. Therefore, with out education, there will be no justice.
             It is important then to examine what Plato meant by justice. To Plato, justice is the highest social good, an ideal. Plato constructs a perfectly just city. This 'society', or in Greek, 'polis' is an interconnected, essential community. It is a set of interdependent relationships and activities. Obviously, the basis or foundation of a polis is made up of human beings/human nature. We are by nature, social beings. Plato describes human nature using three statements. "We are not individually independent, but have many wants;" "No two persons are born exactly alike, but each differs from each in natural endowments," and "Each man (person) works at a single occupation, in accordance with his natural gifts" (RPE, 40-1). These statements give us a vision of what human nature is. Plato is saying that we exist in a state of need and that we are not autonomous, nor self-sufficient; we are not complete in and of ourselves. At the same time he is saying that we are different in terms of our interests, aptitudes, abilities, etc. I may be great at soccer, but my best friend may be artistically endowed. Plato says that we are different by birth. When I was born, I entered into this world, according to Plato, with a predetermined set of abilities, which makes me who I am. Plato concludes by saying that we are each one person, thus we have one best ability, and it is this best abil...