The legacy of Isocrates and a platonic alternative: political philosophy and the value of education

Bringing together educational philosophy, political thought and rhetoric, this book examines the influence of the philosopher Isocrates on educational thought and the history of education.

Unifying philosophical and historical arguments, Muir discusses the role of Isocrates in raising two central questions: What is the value of education?

By what means ought the value of education be determined?

Tracing the historical influence of Isocrates' notions of education from Antiquity to the modern era, Muir questions normative assumptions about the foundations of education and considers the future status of education as an academic discipline.