Education Is Self-Learning: A Reflection On Plato

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Cory Reid
Ms. Maya Alapin
English 120
16 September 2014
Education is Self-Learning: A Reflection on Plato
How do you react when confronted with something new, terrifying, uncomfortable, or
otherwise unknown? Do you embrace change with a warm welcome? Do you run away from it
or act as if its not there? Socrates once said the unexamined life is not worth living, which
Plato wholeheartedly would stand by. Plato gives us the allegory of the Cave where he sheds
light on this very aspect of human nature, learning, and education. He provides us the idea that
education is not simply the memorization of general facts, but of reflective learning and study.
Platos allegory describes an incredibly vivid scene where prisoners have been chained
hand and foot since birth to stare at a wall inside a cave. On this wall the prisoners can see a
shadow play of passersby who travel along a walkway that lies above and behind the prisoners.
He suggests a scenario where a prisoner is released to the real world. The prisoner is blinded by
the light of the sun outside the cave and the vastness of the world around him. The prisoner
rushes back into the cave to tell his friends of his discoveries but they can hardly recognize him
as he now appears simply as everything else they see: a shadow on the wall. They fear hes come
back with damaged eyes as he struggles to see in the darkness of the cave, and they would kill
anyone who attempted to free them.
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Why is it that the prisoners would attempt to kill anyone who freed them? Wouldnt
freedom be what they desire? Platos scene puts together a picture of human nature and learning
where the prisoners only know of their existence in the cave. Plato is describing how people will
often react negatively, even violently, when presented with change. They only learn and know
what is explicitly presented to them by the world around them. Robin Barrow and R. G. Woods
quote John Holts writing from How Children Fail and summarize nicely how, we find
ourselves trying to poke certain facts, recipes, and ideas down the gullets of every child in school
(Barrow 10). Generally, our educational system raises us to know certain things. We learn
facts and figures and processes for how many things work around us. This memorization of this
information clouds our perception of the world. We assume we know vast quantities about the
world around us while a philosopher, such as Plato, would challenge this.
Platos philosophy on education was more geared toward self-learning. He felt that as
peoples strengths are identified then a founders job is to force the best natures to reach the
learning called the highest (Plato 519d). He is suggesting that educators should be guiding
their disciples in a direction which encourages students to delve, on their own, deep into a
subject that the student is naturally talented in. Platos suggestion follows his functionalist
model of education which was designed to raise people to meet the needs of the state (Noddings
8). Plato wanted students to deeply learn and understand whatever their natural born talent was
so that they may use that knowledge to benefit the general populace.
With Platos goal and view in mind we can look more deeply at his allegory. Specifically,
why is it that Plato is suggesting these things? Plato was a friend of Socrates. As was
aforementioned, Socrates has been quoted as saying the unexamined life is not worth living. In
laymans terms, Socrates is suggesting that one must question everything in order to live a
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fulfilling life. With Socrates voice in Platos mind he described the cave to be dark and
withdrawn. He used strong imagery of chains to compel his listeners to feel what he was saying.
His reasoning for using chains to bind the prisoners is that the chains are heavy and unforgiving.
They completely restrict, without mercy, where people want to be free and move at will. His
chains represent people taking things for granted after having their minds clouded with
memorization of general knowledge.
If nothing should be taken for granted, why then do so many of us take the world and its
happenings around us for granted? According to R. S. Peters, [education] implies that
something worthwhile is being intentionally transmitted in a morally acceptable manner
(Barrow 8). Education has transferred into our minds a set of perceptions about the world around
us. Education has implanted various tools and skills deemed necessary to function in the world
around us. Plato however, believes that education should be more than learning skills and general
knowledge. While skills are important, one does not understand something conceptually simply
through knowing how to complete the process. They must question and examine the process.
They must want to know why the process is done in this order, or if theres a better way. In order
to live a fulfilling life, according to Plato and Socrates one must be willing to embrace
change and the unknown. One must always question the reasoning behind what is happening.
Through questioning and deep thought Plato believes the mind can reach the highest form
of understanding. True knowledge cannot be attained simply through traditional means of
education where everyone knows the same facts, and has the same abilities, across a broad array
of disciplines. Platos message in his allegory of the Cave was clear that education should be a
guiding hand towards self-learning and deep reflection. Toward questioning. Instead of
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constantly attempting to implant information into the minds of young people, Plato tells us to
identify what theyre naturally gifted in and guide them on their own path of self-discovery.

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Works Cited
Barrow, Robin, and R G. Woods. An Introduction to Philosophy of Education. London:
Routledge, 1988. Internet resource.
Noddings, Nel. Philosophy of Education. Boulder, Colo: Westview Press, 2012. Internet
resource.
Plato, and Benjamin Jowett. Plato's the Republic. New York: The Modern library, 1941. Print.

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