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The beginning is the most important part of the work.

Plato, Republic, Book II

Philosophy

The story behind the card

Plato wrote this in the Republic (Book II, 377a), around 375 BC. In the dialogue, Socrates is discussing which stories should be told to the children who will grow up to guard the city. The beginning matters most, he says, especially for anything young and tender, because that is when character most readily takes the stamp we want to give it. Plato meant early education; the line is now quoted about starting anything.

Türkçe oku
Her işin en önemli yanı başlangıcıdır.
Platon, Devlet, II. kitap

Bu söz, Platon'un MÖ 375 dolayında yazdığı Devlet'in II. kitabında (377a) geçer. Diyalogda Sokrates, ileride kentin koruyucusu olacak çocuklara hangi hikâyelerin anlatılması gerektiğini tartışır. Ona göre her işin başlangıcı en önemli yanıdır, hele genç ve körpe olan her şeyde; çünkü karakter, ona vurulmak istenen damgayı en kolay o zaman alır. Platon erken yaştaki eğitimi kastediyordu; bugün söz, yeni başlanan her iş için anılıyor.

Sources and further reading

Background reading: Plato
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