THE ACADEMY
Plato's Academy was founded in 387 BC. It was a "skeptical school" rather than a "dogmatic school," meaning the students were taught to question everything rather than to learn by a set curriculum. They taught astronomy, physics, politics, metaphysics, and ethics at the school, but it is not a school like we think of today. There was no tuition, there were no diplomas, and students and teachers would walk around and have discussions. The Academy was destroyed by the Romans in 86 BC, but it continued to operate until 83 BC, when Philo of Larissa, the last head of the Academy, died. Now, there is a park around the ruins of the Academy, as well as, an interactive center/museum across the street.
SKEPTICAL SCHOOLS
I would really like to have "skeptical schools" in our world today. I feel like too many schools are "dogmatic schools," focused on teaching a set curriculum rather than openly discussing concepts. I do not think dogmatic schools are bad, though. Offering a set curriculum will help prepare students for standardized tests, college, etc. because they are all receiving the same information. However, it would be nice if there was either a second school or a second part of school for philosophical discussion. There are some exceptions today, like the Great Books program at Mercer (which I am so thankful for), where programs are more focused on discussion rather than set curriculum, but I feel like these programs are not widespread enough. The inclusion of these skeptical schools would be helpful for our modern opinionated world. People would be more open to new ideas and peaceful discussion rather than the hostility and selfishness that comes all too frequently with people's opinions. We could actually make a difference in the world, as peaceful discussion would lead to cooperation, and even if not everyone agreed, it would be much more likely that we could come to a compromise if we discussed peacefully.
A FOUNDATION OF GEOMETRY
Legend has it that, outside of the Academy, there was a sign that read, "let no one ignorant of geometry enter here." Basically, the sign warns that, to understand what is discussed in Plato's Academy, you must first understand geometry. This makes sense to me because geometry is about argumentation, or proving one's point through reasoning. As a math major, I appreciate this concept, that geometry is the basis of philosophical discussion. Because I am also interested in philosophy, I am often looking for correlations between the two, and this is an excellent example. I would recommend reading Euclid's Elements if one would like to know more about how geometry relates to philosophy.
"The greatest wealth is to live content with little." -Plato
