The Road to Enlightenment as Told by Plato and Freire
In “Allegory of the Cave” and “The Banking Concept of Education,” Plato and Paulo Freire criticize the value of education in our society. Although Plato’s writings aren’t modern, their concepts still apply to modern day learning; in fact, many of Freire’s arguments coalesce with Plato’s. In today’s society it is common to view a teacher as an information giver who blesses students with the gift of knowledge. Concurrently it is believed that the student is a receptacle for this information to be stored in. Although I have been raised with this same belief, I have concluded through Plato and Freire that this concept of education doesn’t support the true value of education. Therefore, I contend …show more content…
The basis is that teachers are depositors of information and students are receptacles. However, he expands further to call teachers “oppressors” and students “the oppressed.” This is a strong analogy, but with fair backing, as teachers oppress the ability of students to perform critical thinking when all the information they are given is based on perception. Freire calls his solution “problem-posing” education, the concept that students are simultaneously teachers, and vice versa. He explains this concept as, “responding to the essence of consciousness -intentionally- rejects communiqués and embodies communications” (262). Freire insists on rejecting everyday perceptions as fact, because this is what he sees as the instigator of the “banking concept.” Instead, he encourages the formation of a student-teacher relationship that is symbiotic. In order for the relationship to function, both parties must provide something beneficial to the other; in this case it is the exchange of information. For Freire’s solution to work, both parties must be able to communicate openly with each other, and ask critical questions like “why” and “how.” If this isn’t allowed in a student-teacher relationship, neither party will learn anything. Consequently, students are, by Plato’s analogy, literally left in the dark by the teachers. What do you think? Why does this …show more content…
The larger matter here is that by blindly accepting what we see as the truth, we are worsening our situation. In Plato’s Allegory of the Cave, the prisoner is able to leave the cave. However, the prisoner chooses to go back in. This represents our eternal inability to leave the cave, but by recognizing this we are able to improve our condition inside of the cave. Freire also relates to this concept with his ideas on challenging authority. Recognizing the cave, as well as questioning its authority, allows us to enlighten ourselves. By far the most important thing to take out of their writings is the importance of the process of education. Recognizing our limits, but questioning them, as well as enduring the journey to education, gives us a brighter future, and a more valuable
In “Allegory of the Cave” and “The Banking Concept of Education,” Plato and Paulo Freire criticize the value of education in our society. Although Plato’s writings aren’t modern, their concepts still apply to modern day learning; in fact, many of Freire’s arguments coalesce with Plato’s. In today’s society it is common to view a teacher as an information giver who blesses students with the gift of knowledge. Concurrently it is believed that the student is a receptacle for this information to be stored in. Although I have been raised with this same belief, I have concluded through Plato and Freire that this concept of education doesn’t support the true value of education. Therefore, I contend …show more content…
The basis is that teachers are depositors of information and students are receptacles. However, he expands further to call teachers “oppressors” and students “the oppressed.” This is a strong analogy, but with fair backing, as teachers oppress the ability of students to perform critical thinking when all the information they are given is based on perception. Freire calls his solution “problem-posing” education, the concept that students are simultaneously teachers, and vice versa. He explains this concept as, “responding to the essence of consciousness -intentionally- rejects communiqués and embodies communications” (262). Freire insists on rejecting everyday perceptions as fact, because this is what he sees as the instigator of the “banking concept.” Instead, he encourages the formation of a student-teacher relationship that is symbiotic. In order for the relationship to function, both parties must provide something beneficial to the other; in this case it is the exchange of information. For Freire’s solution to work, both parties must be able to communicate openly with each other, and ask critical questions like “why” and “how.” If this isn’t allowed in a student-teacher relationship, neither party will learn anything. Consequently, students are, by Plato’s analogy, literally left in the dark by the teachers. What do you think? Why does this …show more content…
The larger matter here is that by blindly accepting what we see as the truth, we are worsening our situation. In Plato’s Allegory of the Cave, the prisoner is able to leave the cave. However, the prisoner chooses to go back in. This represents our eternal inability to leave the cave, but by recognizing this we are able to improve our condition inside of the cave. Freire also relates to this concept with his ideas on challenging authority. Recognizing the cave, as well as questioning its authority, allows us to enlighten ourselves. By far the most important thing to take out of their writings is the importance of the process of education. Recognizing our limits, but questioning them, as well as enduring the journey to education, gives us a brighter future, and a more valuable