Plato's Allegory of the Cave Relation to Education

This essay explores how Plato utilizes his "Allegory of the Cave" to demonstrate the process of obtaining true knowledge of reality while “illustrating the effects of education on the soul.” (Reeve, p. 201)

The humans that have been chained in the cave since childhood represent the uneducated, naïve portion of the population, those that trust their senses exclusively to inform them of the world, without the need or ability to resort to rational thinking. These captives are unable to experience anything other than themselves and the flickering symbols of perceived objects…“what the prisoners would take for true reality is nothing other than the shadows of those artifacts.” (Reeve, p. 202) Their mutual observations and discussions among themselves would seem to confirm the validity of their illusory collective environment or shared umwelt. This concept is similar to the process of education where the student begins with a limited perspective, not realizing , not having even the vaguest comprehension of the possibility that their world view, their current perception of reality, is an illusion.

Initially the prisoner that is unchained and ventures into the sun would be puzzled and overwhelmed, fearing the strange new environment and longing to return to their previous reality. The newly discovered knowledge would be unusual and abnormal to him so that at first it would be difficult to believe and he would be inclined to return to what is familiar, even if it were known to be an illusion, it would be safe and recognizable. This recently grasped clarity of understanding would be hard to swallow after digesting a lifetime of contradictory impressions. This experience correlates with the first step of obtaining knowledge which requires pain, overcoming doubt and recognizing that one’s pre-conceived biases had led him astray. It is threatening to have one’s base assumptions challenged.

After initial pain and discomfort, the unchained prisoners’ eyes become accustomed to the light and he is eventually able to see reality clearly and even able to look directly at the sun, analogous to observing truth. This section of the allegory corresponds with the process of learning, as newly acquired knowledge takes some time and contemplation in order to fully sink in. Just as the unchained prisoner “would count himself happy for the change and pity the others” (Reeve, p. 203) that had stayed chained in the cave, once new knowledge is absorbed during the learning process, once the truth is illuminated, one simply can’t return to a life of false beliefs.

If the freed man returned to the cave, with his sight still dim from the sun, he would “provoke ridicule” from the prisoners for not being able to recognize the previous illusory reality while unable to explain the truth to those still in chains. They would think “it is not worthwhile even to travel upward.” (Reeve, p. 203) It is the same in education, as it seems anything presented that is contrary to one’s current understanding is questioned and that new knowledge is first ridiculed prior to being accepted as the truth.  As Plato infers that the form of the good “is seen only with toil and trouble,” (Reeve, p. 203) one must undergo sacrifice and suffering when attempting to learn the truth.

Those students that are incapable of, unprepared or not trained to receive an education, those without endurance and exposure to rationality and critical thinking will indubitably fail in their efforts, just as a prisoner still chained in the darkness of Plato’s cave will never see the light of truth, remaining in a world of shadows, trapped within their limited perspective, forever ignorant of the luminous real world hidden behind him. Most folks are like the prisoners, satisfied with the flickering shadows on the cave wall, remaining content with the superficial materialistic appearance of life, while philosophers discard their chains and bravely venture out of the cave seeking the light of truth. Each has the key to their own chains although some do not understand this…or simply choose the ignorance of captivity versus the wisdom of freedom.