Hi all,

Perhaps my input is not so helpful, but I'm not sure it's a Plato quote.
Sounds nothing like the guy to me based on readings of Gorgias, Symposium,
and The Republic.  Who knows, could be in another work, but it really
doesn't sound like Plato's style.

A thought, though - Plato typically channels Socrates and writes almost
exclusively in the Socratic dialogues.  Quotes may come from other speakers
in his works - for instance, the famous passage about people originally
being two beings fused into one before the gods split them in two was
written by Plato but was actually spoken by Aristophanes in the Symposium.
Perhaps the quote was written by Plato as the words of a different person?

Becky

Curatorial Fellow
The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art
5401 Bay Shore Road
Sarasota, Florida 34243



On 11/10/06, Toni Hoelscher <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
> Hi Jay (and all)
>
> That sounds remenicent of Allegory of the Cave by Plato, but I'm not sure
> if that's at all part of it.  I also looked in my Bartlet's Quotation book
> and didn't see the quote.
>
> Best of luck to you! :)
>
> Toni
>
> On 11/10/06, Jay Heuman <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> >
> >  Greetings all:
> >
> >
> >
> > I am certain this is an unusual question.  I hope someone on Museum-L
> > might know the source of this quotation (supposedly) from Plato:
> >
> >
> >
> > "Someday, in the distant future, our grandchildren's grandchildren will
> > develop a new equivalent of our classrooms. They will spend many hours in
> > front of boxes with fires glowing within. May they have the wisdom to know
> > the difference between light and knowledge."
> >
> >
> >
> > Searching online, I stumbled upon reference to Plato's "Discourse on
> > Future Learning," but I can find no evidence that such a discourse (or
> > dialogue) actually exists.
> >
> >
> >
> > Are we supposed to believe Plato was clairvoyant?  Come on . . . "boxes
> > with fires"?  This strikes me as "urban legend" (or a "techno-myth").
> >
> >
> >
> > Best wishes, sincerely,
> >
> >
> >
> > Jay Heuman
> >
> > *Curator of Education** *
> >
> > *Salt** Lake Art Center***
> >
> >
> >
> > 20 South West Temple
> >
> > Salt Lake City, UT  84101
> >
> > Phone: 801.328.4201 x 121
> >
> > Fax: 801.322.4323
> >
> > URL: www.slartcenter.org
> >
> >
> >
> > *Salt** Lake Art Center**:*
> >
> > *Celebrating 75 Years!***
> >
> > *1931-2006** *
> >
> >
> >
> > The aim of art is to represent not
> >
> > the outward appearance of things,
> >
> > but their inward significance.
> >
> > *Aristotle (384-322 B.C.E.)** *
> >
> >
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