Hellenica

; that while its lessons are always being learnt, they are always being forgotten and misunderstood ; and that though much has been done for its interpretation, and the study of it has established itself in the curriculum of our schools and Universities, we are still in many respects only at the threshold, and often see it through a veil of conventional platitudes, pretentious antiquarianism, or sentimental finery. All that I have here attempted is to draw renewed attention to some of the salient and familiar points in a subject which concerns us all, and to suggest reflection upon our own corresponding theory and practice. The subject of Education is treated by Plato in the Republic as an integral and vital part of the wider subject of the well-being of human society, and it is scarcely possible to give an intelligent account of his treatment without first indicating the scope and plan of the work as a whole. The Republic opens by asking the question, What is the nature of justice ? and the first four books of it pursue the answer to this question without any serious deviation. The real bearing of the question is but poorly represented to us in its English dress; it would be better expressed, if (following the suggestion of Plato himself1) we substituted for it the question, How are men to order their lives so as to live best ? which naturally involves the further question, What is to live well ? Various representative answers to these questions are first propou...