Education “For the Sake of All Time”: How Education is Formed by an Immortal Desire for the Good

Liberal education has taken many of its cues from Plato’s writings. Plato’s Allegory of the Cave, for example, has shaped how educators think of education as a liberation from one’s bondage to ignorance and an ascent to that which is True. This thesis examines how the Platonic principles of liberal education and the immortal soul influence later views of the soul and the proper education thereof. In addition to Plato’s writings, this thesis examines the works of Saint Augustine and C. S. Lewis to see how medieval and modern Christian philosophies have adapted Plato’s notion that the soul is immortal and therefore needs to be both cared for in this life and prepared for its continued existence after death. The thesis begins by establishing an understanding of the philosophies of each of these authors regarding the immortality of the soul and the telos of humankind. After understanding that each author conceives of the human telos as an immortal desire to possess the Good, the thesis establishes that education is an act of the immortal soul. Lastly, this thesis will examine each author’s perspective on the afterlife and the need for education in preparation for the afterlife.