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Three lines of argument are central to this book: that Plato's views as expounded in the Republic indicate that he was a utilitarian; that utilitarianism is the only acceptable ethical theory; that these conclusions have significant repercussions for education. Throughout the book the exposition of utilitarianism and the interpretation of the Republic are closely linked. The author assesses the nature of recent Platonic criticism and provides a critical summary of the Republic. He expounds and defends utilitarianismn and examines in greater depth the consequences for education of accepting a utilitarian position, showing how, for example, from this standpoint such key terms in educational debate as 'autonomy' and 'self-development' must be reassessed as educational objectives.
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INTERNATIONAL LIBRARY OF THE PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION PLATO, UTILITARIANISM AND EDUCATION PLATO, UTILITARIANISM AND EDUCATION ROBIN BARROW Volume 3 LONDON AND NEW YORK First published in 1975 This edition first published in 2010 by Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abington, Oxon, OX14 4RN Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada by Routledge 270 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016 This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2010. To purchase your own copy of this or any of Taylor & Francis or Routledge’s collection of thousands of eBooks please go to www.eBookstore.tandf.co.uk. Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 1975 Robin Barrow All rights reserved. No of this book be may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now know or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available form the British Library Publisher’s Note The publisher has gone to great lengths to ensure the quality of this reprint but points out that some imperfections in the original copies may be apparent. Disclaimer The publisher has made every efforts to trace copyright holders and would welcome correspondence from those they have been unable to trace. ISBN 0-203-86121-3 Master e-book ISBN ISBN 10:0-415-55946-4 (Set) eISBN 10:0-2038-6097-7(Set) ISBN 10:0-415-56250-3 (Volume 3) eISBN 10:0-203-86121-3 (Volume 3) ISBN 13:978-0-415-55946-1 (Set) eISBN 13:978-0-2038-6097-7 (Set) ISBN 13:978-0-415-56250-8 (Volume 3) eISBN 13:978-0-203-86121-9 (Volume 3) First published in 1975 by Routledge & Kegan Paul Ltd Broadway House, 68–74 Carter Lane, London EC4V 5EL and 9 Park Street, Boston, Mass. 02108, USA Set in Baskerville 10 on 11 point This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2010. To purchase your own copy of this or any of Taylor & Francis or Routledge’s collection of thousands of eBooks please go to www.ebookstore.tandf.co.uk. © Robin Barrow 1975 No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher, except for the quotation of brief passages in criticism ISBN 0-203-86121-3 Master e-book ISBN ISBN 0 7100 8044 1 Contents € € General editor’s note € Preface € viii € x € 1 € € 2 3 4 € € € 5 € € 6 € € € € € 7 € € € € Introduction € 1 € Plato’s critics € 2 € Liberal-democratic philosophy € What the Republic actually says € Preliminary problems € What is happiness? € 1 € Introduction € 2 € The concept of happiness € 3 € Plato, the liberal-democrats and happiness € The pursuit of happiness € 1 € That happiness is necessarily pursued € 2 € That happiness constitutes the supreme moral principle € Freedom € 1 € Plato, the libera