What Does it Mean to Be Educated?
Please subscribe. Upcoming episodes:
- What does it mean to be educated?
- What does an education enable? (What does an education enable a student to enjoy, become, and do?)
- How does one become educated? (What knowledge is needed, what skills are needed, what needs to be understood, and by what methods?)
- Is it possible to measure the degree to which one is educated? (Is the quantity and quality of one’s education measured by what one knows, understands, does, behaves, loves, or something else?)
- How can a student enjoy the process of becoming educated? (Or is it only possible to enjoy life after school?)
- What if one does not have a strong education? (What can he or she do to catch up during or after high school?)
Crito
Crito follows the Apology, Socrates’ trial defense. Wrongly accused of promoting bad religion and corrupting the youth of Athens, he was condemned to die. While in prison, Crito, his friend, tries to persuade Socrates to escape, arguing that anything less would be unjust.
Socrates argues that it would be unjust to disregard his city’s government and laws. Stating that the city’s legal regime gave him life (via marriage laws), education, and happiness, if there is no legal recourse, and if he is unsuccessful in persuading city officials, he must submit to the law.
He believes that any decision to escape would not only be unjust but would also cost him all credibility in a foreign land.
This guy explains Crito well.
In the Apology, Socrates admitted that if he were set free or banished, he would continue to have conversations with people about living well. The very conversations that led to his trial. Socrates was more concerned about doing what was right and just than what was politically correct. At the same time, if condemned, he would not seek to escape the city illegally.
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Apology
Perhaps the most well-known of all the dialogues of the first great Greek philosopher.
Socrates has been accused of corrupting the youth with bad ideas and bad religion. In this dialogue (written by his most famous student, Plato), Socrates defends himself in court.
He argues that his marketplace conversations were intended to illuminate the path of wisdom and living well. He explains why the gods consider him wiser than others, and he endeavors to help his countrymen realize they are not living as wisely as they believe.
Far from corrupting the youth, he urged his countrymen to live for moral rather than practical gain, to examine what is best for the soul, and to be more concerned about what is just rather than how to prolong their lives.
Socrates argues that the gods considered him the wisest because he realized he was not. And that human wisdom is not sufficient for living well. He angered his fellow citizens by revealing their lack of wisdom.
A high school student (10th grade +) can read this dialogue in one or two sittings. This dialogue can be read many times, enjoyably and helpfully.
Socrates was the first great Greek philosopher. He pursued wisdom, endeavored to answer life’s big questions, and showed others how to live wisely. His most famous pupil, Plato, recorded his final days in dialogues such as Euthyphro, Apology, and Crito.
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Euthyphro
Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle (the three great Greek philosophers of antiquity) investigated life’s big questions: What is real? (Metaphysics) How do we know what we know? (Epistemology) And how should we live? (Ethics)
They believed in the objectivity of truth and sought to understand how to live the good life.
In The Dialogues, Plato, Socrates’ student, recorded Socrates’ thinking and beliefs. They are quite entertaining and thought-provoking, and they increase understanding of ideas through intensive questioning, which became known as Socratic questioning.
One dialogue is titled Euthyphro. In it, Socrates and his friend Euthyphro strike up a conversation (while on their way to court) about the nature of piety (i.e., holiness or the good). Socrates asked what it is and how it relates to justice.
After much back and forth, Socrates asked a famous question, known as Euthyphro’s dilemma: Do the gods love something because it is good, or is something good because the gods love it?
The question deals with the nature of God and what it means to live the good life.
I recommend the translation by Benjamin Jowett. (A high school student can read it in one hour. Skip the introduction.)
Finally, while thought-provoking, the dilemma is false. These Christian philosophers explain why:
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Leadership Gold
“Leadership is influence,” says John Maxwell. Many people think leadership begins only after you graduate, get a good job, and earn a title like “manager.” But that’s not true. Leadership can start right now. If you are influencing someone, you are already leading.
This kind of leadership is possible in middle school and high school. When I was a high schooler, I grew as a leader through roles like class president, team captain in soccer and basketball, performer in school plays, and competitor in academic and talent events. But leadership wasn’t just about titles or awards. It also showed up in everyday life—how I acted in class, in the hallways, at home, and with friends. The way I treated and influenced others mattered just as much, if not more.
So how can a high school student grow as a leader with the help of a coach or mentor? One helpful resource is John Maxwell’s book Leadership Gold. This book shares 26 simple and practical principles about leadership, including:
- Leading by serving
- Growing intentionally
- Working well with others
You don’t have to wait until you’re older to start learning these lessons. I wish I had known them sooner, and I hope your student-leader can start using them today to reach their full potential.
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