Socrates, The Clouds, and Education

The Trials of Socrates, written by individuals on experiences of Socrates himself, are very interesting. They show different sides of Socrates with opinions of each writer. The text I found most intriguing is Clouds by Aristophanes. The setting is Athens in fifth century BCE. A key theme of the story is education, and symbols of this can be seen with the clouds, money, and quests. Clouds can represent Socrates argument. Handling money is a form of education. Finally, there is a quest for a quality education by Strepsiades to get out of his son, Pheidippides', debt.

The chorus of clouds are a symbol of information, similar to that of Socrates'. Socrates claims the clouds are pockets of water and energy, and they cause rain. The clouds contribute to the satire of the play because they represent the "fluff" that Socrates teaches to his pupils including Strepsiades and Pheidippides. Clouds are viewed as large and substantial in the sky, however they are nothing but thin vapor. This also relates to the unjust argument. This argument sounds very intellectual, however it is just pointless facts and has no specific use.

Money plays an important role in Clouds. Being in debt, Strepsiades is forced to find a way to repay it. This leads him to education and Socrates. Also, being educated with currency could have prevented Strepsiades from debt. If he didn't spoil Pheidippides with horses and spend money he did not have, Strepsiades wouldn't be in a bad position. The play is concerned with being current, relating to currency, and only spending money you have currently.

Quests are shown throughout Aristophanes' play. He first employs the "Thinkery" because it is the opposite of what he believes. Aristophanes himself is conservative and uses satire to get to his view of proper education. The quest to proper education stops at the Just Argument. This argument included both body and mind. The Just Argument provided a holistic experience and was respected, along with being well-rounded. However, Aristophanes doesn't totally end his quest at his ideal model. There are still problems with this argument, and he realizes this; he uses satire and makes the Just Argument a pedophile. Aristophanes understands that both the old and new ways of education should be criticized, allowing one to have a fair argument. The quest for proper education can always change, and a old system, left unseen, can lose its value when transferred to a new generation.

Socrates is described by Aristophanes as a scholar with a lot of tout in Clouds. His arguments are vague, yet learned by many. The importance of education can be seen in this play, supported by Aristophanes himself. Some symbols include the chorus of clouds, currency, and quests. The clouds, hence the title, are important in showing the fluff of the Unjust Argument. Currency and money education would have prevented Strepsiades from his problems with debt. Also, the quests, especially the one for proper education, is seen in the text by the different sets of arguments. Aristophanes presents Socrates as a educator and uses specific symbols to describe the concept of education.