플라톤의 대표적 저작인 「국가론」과 「법률」은 정치 문제나 종교 문제도 논의하고 있지만, 이들 논의는 어디까지나 교육의 관점에서 이루어지고 있다. 성리학의 용어로 말하자면, 이두 대화편은 정치나 종교의 초점이 ‘심성함양’에 맞춰져야 한다는 견해를 제시한다고 볼 수있다. 그러나 물론, 정치나 종교가 심성함양에 기여하는 방식은 교육이 그것에 기여하는 방식과 동일하지 않다. ‘매체 이론’에 의하면, 경험적 마음을 형이상학적 마음인 ‘심성’으로 이끄는 매체, 즉 심성함양의 매체는 ‘개념’, ‘비언어적 상징’, ‘언어적 상징’의 세 가지로 분류되며, 이 각각을 활용하는 전형적인 활동은 교육, 정치, 종교이다. 이 점은 「국가론」과 「법률」에 있어서도 대체로 성립하지만, 「법률」에 부각되어 있는 종교는 주로 ‘언어적 상징’보다는 ‘비언어적 상징’을 활용하는 것으로 해석된다. 이러한 해석은 「국가론」의 ‘최선의 국가’ 또는 ‘이상 국가’와 「법률」의 ‘차선의 국가’ 또는 ‘현실적인 국가’ 사이의 차이를 새로운 관점에서 이해할 수 있게 해준다. 전자의 ‘철학자․군주’가 예시하는 것과 같은, ‘개념’을 통한 심성함양은 후자의 일반 시민이 예시하는 것과 같은, ‘비언어적 상징’을 통한 심성함양을 가능하게 하는 논리적 조건이 된다는 것이다. 결국 엄밀한 의미의 심성함양은 ‘개념’을 통하여 일어난다고 보아야 하며, 이때의 ‘개념’은 후기 교육에서 다루어지는 것과 같은 이론적 교과에 들어 있다. 그리하여 「국가론」과 「법률」에 나타나 있는 플라톤의 견해는 이론적 지식을 가르치고 배우는 일로서의 교육이 우리의 삶에서 어떤 의미를 지니는지를 되돌아보게 한다.
Contrary to the prevailing view, Plato’s Republic and Laws, which are representatives of his works, have education as their main theme. They contain many subjects including politics and religion, but these subjects are discussed with the focus placed on education. In his view, education is primarily concerned with the conversion of the soul from the sensible world to reality, which is equivalent to the Mind-Nature cultivation in Neo-Confucianist theory of education. Thus, just like education, politics and religion are seen to contribute to the Mind-Nature cultivation, although their ways of contribution are different from each other. There is a theory which argues that those three activities are typical ones which use ‘concept’, ‘non-verbal symbol’, and ‘verbal symbol’ respectively as their own media of Mind-Nature cultivation. This theory is applicable to those two dialogues of Plato, except that ‘non-verbal symbol’ is mainly used as a medium in religious activities which are of vital importance in the Laws. Anyway, the theory casts light on the question of how the difference between the best state of the Republic and asecond-best state of the Laws should be understood. The Mind-Nature cultivation through ‘concept’ is logically prior to the Mind-Nature cultivation through ‘non-verbal symbol’, and the latter could be realized only when the former is realized to some degree. While the ‘philosopher-king’ of the Republic exemplifies the former, the ordinary citizens of the Laws exemplify the latter. In a word, the exemplar of the Mind-Nature cultivation can be found in the Mind-Nature cultivation through ‘concept’. This conclusion calls for renewed attention to the school subjects, particularly to the theoretical ones in which ‘concept’ is contained.
Contrary to the prevailing view, Plato’s Republic and Laws, which are representatives of his works, have education as their main theme. They contain many subjects including politics and religion, but these subjects are discussed with the focus placed on education. In his view, education is primarily concerned with the conversion of the soul from the sensible world to reality, which is equivalent to the Mind-Nature cultivation in Neo-Confucianist theory of education. Thus, just like education, politics and religion are seen to contribute to the Mind-Nature cultivation, although their ways of contribution are different from each other. There is a theory which argues that those three activities are typical ones which use ‘concept’, ‘non-verbal symbol’, and ‘verbal symbol’ respectively as their own media of Mind-Nature cultivation. This theory is applicable to those two dialogues of Plato, except that ‘non-verbal symbol’ is mainly used as a medium in religious activities which are of vital importance in the Laws. Anyway, the theory casts light on the question of how the difference between the best state of the Republic and asecond-best state of the Laws should be understood. The Mind-Nature cultivation through ‘concept’ is logically prior to the Mind-Nature cultivation through ‘non-verbal symbol’, and the latter could be realized only when the former is realized to some degree. While the ‘philosopher-king’ of the Republic exemplifies the former, the ordinary citizens of the Laws exemplify the latter. In a word, the exemplar of the Mind-Nature cultivation can be found in the Mind-Nature cultivation through ‘concept’. This conclusion calls for renewed attention to the school subjects, particularly to the theoretical ones in which ‘concept’ is contained.
