什麼是「生命」的本質？意義？與價值？基於我們對生命的認識，「生命教育」又如何可能？解答這些令人大惑終身的問題，柏拉圖的「靈魂論」與「靈魂教育觀」提供了重要的線索。柏拉圖主張「靈魂」──即現代概念的「精神」、「心靈」──是生命最可貴的部分、最真實的存在，具心知情意作用、自發主動能力的主宰。然而靈魂一旦與肉體結合，即陷溺於感覺嗜欲、種種非理性的糾纏。柏拉圖因而呼籲人當「關懷靈魂」、「自我檢查」；明辨善惡，正確評價苦樂，使靈魂有秩序規律，保持健康；控制情慾，以自作主宰。在「善」的引導之下，透過理智學習，使「靈魂轉向」。雖然柏拉圖確有過度向理智傾斜、輕視變遷世界、否定變化的問題，但他對人性精密的觀察和對善良生命的呼籲，貢獻卓絕。其熠熠智慧之光，當可作為指引現代人尋求真實生命的一盞明燈。

What are the essence, the meaning, and the value of life? How could our understanding of life be possible, and how is the practice of ”life for education” possible? To answer these questions of a perplexing nature, the present paper suggests that Plato's doctrines of the soul and of soul-education have provided us with important clues. The concept of soul in Plato, very close to the modern concepts of spirit and mind, is the most precious part of human life, the authentic existence of the self, and the master of psychical functions, such as intelligence, emotions, desires, will, and so forth. Nonetheless, as Plato conceives, once the soul becomes entangled with the body it is trapped by sensuous indulgence and insatiable appetites and turns to be the slavery of irrational drives. All human misery, misconducts, and evils results from the uncontrollable soul, thereupon Plato urges people to ”tend one's soul” through self-examination and to keep one's soul in a healthy state. Education, for Plato, is in fact an art of the tendance of the soul which helps people to acquire the power of self-mastery. In his most renowned work, Republic, Plato again proposes the doctrine of ”the conversion of the soul” that suggests the soul to turn its eye from the sensible, transient world of becoming to the intelligible, eternal world of being under the guidance of ”the Form of Good.” Undeniably, Plato's doctrines have the problems of dualism and absolutism and many others; however, the philosophical wisdom revealed by these doctrines still sheds light on the issues of life and ”education for life.”