The story of Odysseus, his wanderings, and his suffering teach contemporary students lessons about life, as they have taught students in the past. The message from this story, that is, at the foundations of western culture, is that life must be embraced as it is and that pain can lead to self-knowledge. (SLD)

Socrates' defense of his life and work as told in Plato's "Apology" is an ideal work for moving young people to consider their moral responsibilities to themselves and others. Read as a biography, this classic text is timely in that it invites reflection on character formation and personal development. (Author/SLD)

Book IV of Plato's "Republic" offers an argument for the value of morality in its own right, and as such stands at the head of an important strand of western moral tradition. This classic text is pertinent for today's students as it was in the past. (SLD)

The educator's job is, in part, to reorient the student toward the truth and to encourage further cognitive development. Book VII of Plato's "Republic" outlines a curriculum that can orient the student toward truth. The curriculum outlined by Plato still forms the basis of much liberal arts education. (SLD)

The principles that underlie the education in music and painting described in Plato's "Republic" constitute a theory of the role of the arts in moral education that can be applied in other contexts, including contemporary education. Also explored is Plato's view of the influence of poetry on those not educated in Socrates' system. (SLD)