S ocrates, A ugustine, and P aul G auguin on the Reciprocity between Speech and Silence in Education

While most educational practices today place an excessive amount of attention on discourse, this article attaches great importance to the reciprocity between speech and silence by drawing from the writings of P lato's Socrates, A ugustine, and P aul G auguin for whom this reciprocity is of the essence in learning. These three figures teach that we learn to speak, listen, and act in relation with the silence of our thoughts. This article claims that S ocrates' dialectic is nothing but inward or silent dialogue, which reappears in or is advanced by A ugustine, and which is also shared by P aul G auguin. Yet its manifestation differs one from the other: in S ocrates, it manifests itself as silence of thought; in A ugustine, as inner vision or contemplation; and in G auguin, as creative thought or activity. By neglecting or separating speech from silence, today's educational methods do not prepare students to respond to life's questions; neither do they enable students to infuse their conversation with an appreciation of life's beauty.