In 1998, the people of Northern Ireland voted overwhelmingly in favour of the Good Friday AgreementThe treaty that ended the Troubles, a decades-long conflict between Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland, which also saw fighting between the British government and Irish republicans. One of its central tenets is an open border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.. In doing so, Catholics and Protestants agreed to end the decades of conflict that had ripped their communities apart and cooperate in government to create a better future. It was a watershed moment in the history of the UK and Ireland.

Almost 25 years later, the optimism has all but evaporated. The more extreme Northern Irish parties, the DUPThe Democratic Unionist Party is a right-wing Protestant political party that initially opposed power-sharing with Catholic parties. and Sinn FeinThe name is Irish for we ourselves. During the Troubles, the party was seen as the mouthpiece of the IRA, which is why many people view it with suspicion., are growing in power, squeezing out the moderates. Power-sharingUnder the Good Friday Agreement, the government of Northern Ireland must have representation from both Protestant and Catholic communities. at Stormont has repeatedly broken down.

Now, a headteacher in Belfast is trying a different strategy. It is all captured in a moving new documentary, Young Plato.

Kevin McArevey is head of Holy Cross Boys' Primary School in the north Belfast district of Ardoyne. And he believes philosophy can break the cycle of violence.

Ardoyne is one of the poorest areas of the city, with a mostly Catholic population. It was an epicentre of the Troubles and violence still frequently shatters the peace on its streets. As well as sectarianismPolitical or cultural conflict between two groups. Between 85% and 90% of the world's Muslims belong to the Sunni sect. Shias account for roughly 10%. , it is troubled by urban decay, drugs and gangs.

Growing up, many of the boys at Holy Cross have learnt to treat violence as the first response to any insult or injury. In some cases, their parents, scarred by years of conflict with their neighbours, encourage this way of thinking.

McArevey wants them to think differently. He is encouraging them to learn how to use reason and empathy to defuse tensions, rather than escalate them. And he hopes they will challenge authority figures who tell them violence is always the answer.

He is teaching his students about three great figures in classical philosophy: SocratesConsidered by some to be the greatest philosopher in history, Socrates is credited with developing the whole notion of critical reason., PlatoOne of the most important Ancient Greek philosophers.  and AristotleA student of Plato, tutor to Alexander the Great and the father of political philosophy..

It may seem like three Ancient Greeks could have little to teach children in the modern world. But in fact, all three have much to say about violence and how to avoid it. 

In one famous argument, Socrates takes on Thrasymachus, who claims that power is right and that no one should ever act in a way that benefits others. Socrates counters that a learned person will understand the value of justice and that the only way to be happy is to treat other people well.

Plato taught that we are all dependent on each other for our needs - economic and spiritual - so it is vital to find ways of living together. He believed we should cultivate four virtues to live happy and peaceful lives: wisdom, courage, moderation and justice.

Aristotle believed above all in moderation. He argued that the right course of action is always the middle point between two extremes. Rather than be violent or cowardly, we should be assertive and self-confident, but never resort to force.

And all three philosophers believed in the power of reason to overcome ignorance and violence. McArevey hopes that children who learn these ideas will be able to use their own reason to end the violence in schools, and ultimately in their communities.

Yes: Violence is a learned behaviour, not an innate response. By thinking critically about our own behaviour and what we have been taught by others, we can learn to turn away from violence.

No: The problems these children face are material, not spiritual. For as long as their communities remain poor, divided and riven by gangs, there will always be an incentive to act violently.

Or... Philosophy cannot solve the problem of violence by itself, but it is a good start. If it encourages even a handful of children to turn the other cheek, there could be a domino effect across their communities.