The Thinkery

The play “The Clouds” was written by Aristophanes in Athens, Greece in 423 BC. Aristophanes wrote the play as a comedy mainly focusing on the intellectual and educational changes that brought about the Athenian enlightenment. Aristophanes is in favor of the traditional educational system that involves learning obedience, poetry and physical fitness. On the other hand, he is strongly against the new system of education which centers on sophistry, science, rhetoric, and ethics. He ridicules one of the main characters in the play, Socrates who is a master philosopher at a school that supports the new system of education, called the Thinkery. However, throughout the play we can see that Aristophanes’ view of Socrates may not be so correct. We can also see that in today’s society students attend schools very similar to that of Socrates’ Thinkery. Aristophanes portrays the Thinkery as a school where young men went to learn subjects and skills that would allow them to achieve power and wealth. In order to enroll in the school students were required to pay a fee. It was lead by Socrates and other sophists who were traveling teachers that taught philosophy and rhetoric. Students would engage in various experiments, learn how to develop good arguments, and study nontraditional subjects such as astronomy, and geometry. Those who did not want the traditional Athenian education of learning traditional values, music and poetry were those who became students of the Thinkery. The learning system at the Thinkery can be seen as a liberal arts type of education. Today students attend schools with a similar learning system where there is a liberal arts core curriculum. In order to attend a liberal arts type of college you are required to pay a fee. Learning science, math, language skills and ethics are all a part of the present education systems. Students attend school to develop knowledge, thinking skills, and even study specific subjects that interest them. Attending a school with the sophism type of learning structure will allow students to advance themselves and become successful. Aristophanes’ play suggests that Socrates teachings are immoral, useless and unimportant. He believes that it ruins traditional values because it encourages young students to obtain power and wealth by any means possible. He claims that it teaches students to be selfish and dishonest.
I strongly disagree with the view Aristophanes’ play has towards the Thinkery and Socrates. I believe that his accusations are inaccurate. The new education system of sophism is vital and very useful to learn. Learning astronomy, geometry, and how to debate is incredibly important. A great deal of imperative learning went on in the Thinkery. Students could develop knowledge on a variety of subjects. During the play a student at the Thinkery describes some of Socrates’ experiments that appear very brilliant and logical. One experiment was to find out how many feet a flea could jump. To measure this Socrates dipped the fleas little feet in melted wax before it jumped. Once the wax had cooled down it turned into little slippers on the flea. Socrates removed them then measured the distance it jumped. As we can see this was a very logical way to measure the distance a flea can jump. Not only is it significant to know how to measure distance, but it is also important to find a way to figure out how to answer a complicated question.
Moreover, another experiment that Socrates wanted to figure out was whether gnats hummed out of their mouths or out of their behinds. To figure this out Socrates determined that a gnat is extremely tiny and has a narrow stomach. The air that they take in air goes through a narrow tube that is attached to their mouths. It then shoots down the narrow tube coming out of their behinds where the humming sound is produced. This is also a logical way of answering a complicated question. Learning the science of a gnat and also learning how a sound is made allows Socrates to answer this question accurately. Students in the Thinkery learn logic and develop critical thinking skills that prepare them for becoming successful.
Aristophanes’ play mocks Socrates and the Thinkery but clearly there is a lot of intelligent learning taking place. Both the Thinkery and liberal arts colleges today have relatively the same type of learning system. They both prepare students for their future and give them the opportunity to achieve wealth and power. Sophism is therefore a positive change in the Athenian education system. A change that leads ultimately to today’s Liberal Arts Colleges.