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Meagan Maestas Ms. Alapin English 220.035 22 February 2014 Platos message about education in the allegory of the Cave I will be writing about the Allegory of the Cave by Plato from the book The Republic, and the message about education in this passage. There are many ideas and topics to talk about as far as Platos Allegory of the Cave, but I will go more into the education. I will do so by going more in to depth on how Plato shows learning in an internal and an external education, ignorance in education, and the truth based on education. To complete this I will explain the layout of my paper in this paragraph. First off I will show the difference between internal and external, and how Plato sees both. Then Platos view on this topic of education as far as the allegory of the cave, as well as mine. I also plan to talk about the ignorance in education in relation to the cave story. Finally I will show the ability to accept truth and the relation truth has to education. To finish off my paper with a conclusion to tie it all together in the end. Internal education: Platos Allegory of the Cave shows learning in internal as well as external ways. Like in our class discussion, we discussed weather Plato sees education as something 'put into the soul' or as something we need to turn the 'whole soul' towards using our own power? It is a little of both, but more so internal. This is because the external; also known as something put in the

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soul can only go so far. Just because it is done and comprehended doesnt mean it is learned necessarily. More so that if more effort is put in and more drive, to where the whole soul is driven, more will come to learn. The outcome is greater in the end when there is more soul and drive in the education, therefore learning more. I believe Plato is showing that the prisoner who is released is a form of internal education. He shows a drive to turn his whole soul or self into furthering the education. He does this by finding interest in his new discoveries and wants to go back and teach the other prisoners what is going on. External education: Although I believe Plato is more on the side of internal, others may argue that it is external, and this is shown also through the prisoners at first before the released prisoner. The external or something put in the soul is shown by facing the prisoners towards a wall at a far distance from the reality behind them and force them to watch shadows and hear blurred distorted sounds, this is all something put in the prisoners minds an education put in the soul rather than a desire to seek further education. They are given an education and it is the only one, they do not seek more from it only because they do not realize the whole situation. Ignorance of education: Plato definitely makes ignorance a role in his piece the Allegory of the Cave, the fact that the prisoners are ignorant to whats real is a huge role, even the cave has relation to ignorance. Like said in an article I read The dark cave symbolically suggests the contemporary world of ignorance and the chained people symbolize ignorant people in this ignorant world (Bachelor and Master)Plato places men in a cave as prisoners to only know what is possible to know. This is only what they can see and hear; clearly this is not being exposed to. Being the fact that they

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are facing a wall in a dark cave going off of shadows and faint sounds, here reality is limited. These prisoners know nothing technically, they think that they may know a lot. When Plato talks about releasing a prisoner he is sent out side to what is really real. Yet this prisoner is to return to the cave to tell his fellow prison mates about this outside world but he is ignorant to the fact he is just what he saw before; a shadow and a blurred sound off to the distance. Ignorance will continue to remain without that internal switch only then will the external education make a difference. Truth: The topic of education is important in this passage by Plato, I think it is shown a lot in what I have said so far about the internal and external of education. The slaves in the cave show a lot about education, how it relates to truth and ignorance. I think like Heather Voke said Students who are well educated should use their skillswhether in science, philosophy, foreign languages, etcto help society as a whole on a practical level is very true to this in relation to the slaves (Voke 2006). I think these two topics stuck out the most to me on the side of the internal and external topics. In this category Ill talk more about the truth of education. The allegory of the caves education has a lot to do with truth. Truth has to do with education because we learn from what we believe is true. Plato shows this in how the prisoners believe that what they have learned based on what they believe they see and hear. Until a prisoner is released then he realizes what he once believed was truth and real was merely imagination or creations. Though the released prisoner returns to tell the fellow prisoners about what he has now learned and found to be truth, they do not see as this. They still see and hear what they have always, what they believe is true.

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Once the one prisoner is released he combines all these forms of education. I read in a article by, Heather, As the prisoners must adjust to the light, students have to work to confront new challenges while learning, which requires significant time.(Voke, 2006). He goes from the external education where he is educated by putting the education in their heads. To him being released and wanting to further the education that he is receiving and having a drive for it. He also learns what true from what he is thought was true from the same process. All of these transitions take him from his ignorance of the prisoner but still a little ignorant as a fellow prisoner. Conclusion: In the end I feel internal education is the side Plato as well as myself are on, given the reasons listed in this paper, and the way all my topics tie back into it. I showed in this paper multiple educational relations to Platos Allegory of the Cave.

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Bibliography

Plato, and Raymond Larson. The Republic. Wiley-Blackwell, 1979. Print. The Cave: An Adaptation of Plato's Allegory in Clay, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69F7GhASOdM

Heather Voke. Platos Allegory of the Cave: Implications for Education. 06 March 2006. Online https://blogs.commons.georgetown.edu/voke-philofeducation/2009/03/06/plato%E2%80%99sallegory-of-the-cave-implications-for-education

Swapnil Srivastava. Plato's Allegory of The Cave: Meaning and Interpretation. February 15, 2013 http://www.buzzle.com/articles/platos-allegory-of-the-cave-meaning-and-interpretation.html

Bachelor and Master. Plato's Allegory of The Cave: Meaning and Interpretation. http://www.bachelorandmaster.com/creationofknowledge/allegory-of-the-cave.html

Maestas 6 External: Simply learned and done I choose this piece because it is so simple. A child who doesnt know much or is ignorant to fancy jewelry, would just pick to popping colors and string them together. The inner bracelet is simpler then the outer in the way that it is just strung with a few random beads and this can be done by anyone who is shown how to string beads and tie a knot to make it a circle for your wrist.

Maestas 7 Internal: Learned and done but with more drive and interest by turning the whole soul I choose this piece because it is a lot more complicated. Its not as simply done as the above jewelry, this one cannot be shown and done. It would take a lot more practice and talent. An ignorant person who knows nothing about jewelry or making it would be able to make this piece just by simply watching or copying someone else who is making this.