Question 1
This essay will be containing explanations of the theory of Plato with regards to his human
perfection. The essay will also have arguments and differences in perspectives related to the
allegory’s relevance to education.
The allegory of the cave comes across as a philosophical concept that is accredited to Plato.
He compares the influence of belief and knowledge in human life. The allegory of the cave
symbolizes the world we live in, it ruminates on the nature of belief versus knowledge. The
cave represents our education, the effect of education and the lack of it on our nature.
The cave is similar in our world that “everything which we see is a shadow cast by that
which we do not see” (Luther king, 1964). In an example by studious guy (2022) he posits
that women in most of the middle eastern areas are raised in an environment that
suppresses women’s rights of which results as true because according to Azadeh Pourzard
(2021) when it comes to Iran in particular, women’s struggle for equality has a long history
that dates back to before the constitutional revolution. Similarly, to how education limits us
and restricts us from the world outside education.
The images of the shadows represent the perceptions that objects, materials and things
taught to us exist and are areal. While in reality these as Plato argues that ideas over those
materials and objects could be wrong too (Anderson, 1968). For example, in an educational
perspective it is said that ‘education is the key to success’ whereas to those whose reality is
they can always make it without being educated and because that works for them it is
reality and they see it happening.
The chains symbolize the barriers that keep us away from discovering reality which relates
to how the education before democracy was. It chained us into believing that we are getting
the education which is our reality. The fire represents deception which relates education
that we received before democracy was implemented. The light represents enlightenment,
it makes people aware of the truth and reality which in education it was only realized after
years that the education they were receiving limited them (park, 1968).
As mentioned by Plato, light gives people the understanding that they need to realize the
truth. Therefore, light can be used as one of the metaphors that describe the educational
process in that it helped people discover what they have been prisoned to when the new
rules and regulations after bantu education system are introduces and are implemented.
Where as before, they were subject to the education that was given to them (park, 1968).
The born fire illuminating at a certain distance inside the cave lights up the front of the
prisoners, which the prisoners can see. The prisoners are therefore shown shadows of
objects that appear regularly. Since the prisoners have not seen the outside world, so they
assume the shadows as the real world because they have no idea of anything happening
behind their back (Stewart, 1972).
Since the prisoners do not understand what they are seeing, they will find it difficult to
believe that there is more to life than what they know. Therefore, it will take time for them
to process the knowledge and discover the truth. This relates to the time taken to adjust to
the new system that was introduces after the system of bantu education.
The freed prisoner could not believe what he sees outside the cave is real but as he gets
familiar with the light, he understands that all what he saw in the cave was illusion. He
undergoes a painful transition and transformation but he does not have the desire to go
back to darkness again because he realizes the truth. On a contrary, prisoners in the cave
were subject to what they know. Their perspective is an illusion world for they have known
that their lives. They have been chained since childhood so their reality are shadows that
they have seen (Lewis, 1996).
The theory put forward by Plato concerns that human perception. He claimed people
gaining knowledge through senses is purely an opinion and that for us to have real
knowledge, we should gain it through philosophical reasoning and hence allegory of the
cave example. Meaning that for those who see the truth, they will gain knowledge through
perspectives of philosophy (Boyum, 2010).
Plato argues that the education is the same process as enlightenment that it expands mind
which will generate more ideas. Knowledge is represented as light, sow hen someone gets
educated they are enlightened. According to Plato (2012) education is seeing things
differently. Therefore, as our conception of truth changes so will our education. Everyone
has the capacity to learn but not everyone has the desire to learn.
The essential function of education is not to give us the truth but guide us towards the
truth. For Plato, education makes us see things differently. Therefore, when the perception
of truth changes so does the education. Much like how the trapped prisoners in the cave did
not have the desire to learn.
The essay had explanations of the theory of Plato with regards to his human perfection. The
essay also discussed arguments and differences in perspectives related to the allegory’s
relevance to education.
Question 2
Idealism proposes that ideas are eternal and universal. Realism explains international
relations in terms of power. This essay will be briefly discussing the origins of realism and
idealism, comparing them extensively and also analyzing how the schools of though
resonates or have an impact on one’s teaching practice.
Realism is a reaction against all human beings are looked into various state without recourse
to any idea of reality. Realism begin in America, early in 20th century. The American realist
were in a sense empiricist and claimed human being senses do really tell us the truth about
the external world. Realism states that objects that are not within the human mind have
their own existence (Higgs & Smith).
Idealism is the metaphysical view that associate reality to ideas in the mind rather than to
material objects. Its emphasis is laid on the mental and spiritual components of experience
and the notion of material existence (James & Smith).
A philosopher ‘Plato’ believed that the physical world around us does not exist. The reality
was that for that, there is a world of ideas which is a world of unchanging and absolute
truth. However, in reality one would ask himself if such existed but then Plato thought it did.
Idealist, Plato and Socrates believed that ideas are important part of a person (Boyum,
2010).
Realism suggest that one cannot reduce statements about the world which Is the ontology
to statements about the knowledge of the world we have which is the epistemology.
According to the epistemology of realism, knowledge acquired through senses is what we
observe and perceive through our own senses as real and the true entity of the world
meaning that we learn through observation and that we believe what we see hence realism
suggests that events and experiments that can be proven are how we can know the truth
(Higg & Smith, 2017).
The metaphysical of realism is that the truth is what eyes can be able to observe. Therefore,
in what learners are taught in schools, they need to be able to relate context into real life to
see truth in what they are learning about (Scheffler, 1966).
According to the epistemology of idealism as to knowledge, it holds that the knowledge is
man thinking the thought and purposes of the external and spiritual reality as they are
embodied in our world of fact (Mansoor & Somayeh, 2017). The idealists attempt to find
general principles which can be given the status of universal truths. In a sense, we are born
with the truth, we just need to realize it that is within our souls. Furthermore, ethics is the
imitation of the absolute self. From this general philosophical position, idealist would tend
to view a learner as a microscopic mind, the teacher as a paradigmatic self and the teaching
method is absorbing ideas and the social policy of the of the school (Butler,1966).
The metaphysical of idealism posits that we can only be certain of consciousness. Idealists
like Plato have belief that ideas associate more with reality rather than materials and
objects which we are not certain if they truly exist. Realism and idealism are similar in that
they both can be teacher centered to an extent (Butler, 1996)
In realism, a student-centered approach is adopted, the teacher is a facilitator or educator
rather than a scientist or researcher who is an expert in their field and knows the maximum
required truth about the field. The teacher is a professional facilitator in terms of both
expertise knowledge and instructional ability (Cervizi, 2011). The teacher provides learners
to gain certain knowledge and proficiency which concludes realism as a student-centered.
For instance, in activities that require learners to observe, feel or hear the learners have to
give their own opinions according to what they observe and witness.
Idealism claims that reality is closely related to idea, though and mind rather than the
earthly power. The teacher is required to reveal the embeded knowledge that is revealed
within the student’s subconscious. Furthermore, be a good role model both as morally and
culturally. The teacher is qualified and well-donated and she or he is supposed to be the one
to drive students to the truth (Gutek, 2006).
Subjective idealists such as George Berkley, reason that man is able to man is able to know
only what he perceives. His only knowledge is of his mental states (Benson, 2000). However,
education plays part in activating the development of the mind and self of the learner. This
means that the main implication is that learners need to gain the knowledge from the
classroom and that can happen if they are provided with opportunities that allow them to
think and apply their knowledge. The focus is on developing learners so they can understand
the world and having broad views (Stewart, 1972). For example, learners can be given
activities and tasks that will show their creativity and ideas within them, tasks such as
projects which will allow them to express their minds.
Realism discourages rote learning and bookish knowledge and prefers hands on experience
for the purpose of learning. The main implication is that It gives importance on field trips
which facilitate learners to correlate classroom learning with reality (Lynch, 2018). For
example, the learning needs to resonates with the learner’s real-life context so that they can
be familiar with the examples.
Realism and idealism are fundamentally opposing views of which a teacher’s philosophy will
be evident in the classroom. For instance, an idealist will look for the role of facilitator
guiding students towards the truth on the other hand realist will look to infuse learners with
knowledge from the ones without it (Lynch, 2018).
Realism and idealism are beneficial when used proper, teachers need to understand the
foundations of each school of thought as they can produce great learners when used
accordingly.
Question 3
I am a captain
3.1 As a teacher, I am like a captain. Part of my justification for choosing a captain to analyze
it with being a teacher includes the fact that they are different but not too different. For
instance, a teacher and a captain may perform duties that are mostly similar but in different
ways.
The nature of being a captain providing is to help the people in the ship arrive to their
destiny. Similarly, with a teacher, she helps her learners achieve their goals and personal
learning goals. Teachers work with learners on specific learning areas, especially the ones
that they struggle with and prepare learners for exams, they go extra miles and try to
explain in ways that are going to make learners understand better (Fourie, 2019).
In contrast, teachers are employed by the department of education and enrolled in different
schools that they are going to teach at or they are enrolled in academic institutions as
faculty members (Du Toit, Louw & Jacobs, 2016). I see my learners the same as people that
are in a ship, my focus is on teaching and learning instruction that caters for a large number
of learners. Teachers introduce new subjects, assign home works and projects for all the
required learning areas as stated per CAPS document. Moreover, I have an understanding
that the ultimate goal of teaching is to make learning easier for learners so the teacher has
to be able to break down a content into simple terms.
I believe effective teaching is when a teacher will be involved to an extent to monitor the
learners’ progress in various subjects that they are teaching. A teacher has to be subject
know ledged in learning areas they are specializing in (Fourie, 2019). For example, I may
need to have thorough understanding of Shakespeare play in order to be able to teach it.
My goal is to help my learners how to Achieve their academic goals, how to solve problems
and how to find information.
They key difference of teaching and being a captain is that teachers deal with a large
number of learners directly while a captain will only communicate with people at a distance.
I will be a teacher that rephrases parts where the learners struggle to understand.
3.2 The underlying premise of idealism is largely an extension of mental process (Lynch,
2016). Idealism is when one envisions or see things in an ideal or perfect manner and since
character is developed through imitating examples and heroes (Baker & Mories, 1996) the
metaphor ‘captain’ resonates to imitating a character of a hero. Th envisioning also relates
to that of that the captain will lead the ship of which the ship represents the students in the
classroom. In laymen’s terms, idealism focuses on ‘what could be’.
Idealism is the school of educational philosophy that puts focus on reasoning and how
human beings brings knowledge up from within (Wilson, 2007). An idealist teacher for
example, looks for the role of facilitator and leads. In a nutshell, the role of the teacher then
becomes to direct and lead learners towards the truth (Klemke, Kline & Hollinger, 1986).
This way learners realize the truth for themselves.
In this case, my teaching metaphor leans more on the realism perspective. The foundation
of the realism theory allows for a teacher to become a scaffolder in the classroom however,
does not limit the learners in participating in the classroom (Croock, 1998). The realism
approach allows learners to voice out their opinions. For example, in a natural sciences and
technology class an experiment may be conducted which will require the learners to
observe, hear or feel and learners are allowed to have their own understanding and
compared idealism it focuses on what actually is not what could be.
The use of realism approach also allows learners to work independently using different
learning styles which accords to their needs then later in a classroom discussion, learners
are able to engage with their peers and discuss their findings or discuss with the teacher. In
that realism gives learners a platform to share their views and opinions.
Realism approach in my classroom involves recognizing different mindset of the learners, in
a sense it gives a guaranteed platform for the learners to lay their thoughts and ideas
pertaining a particular topic in a subject. Also, the learners are in more than one diversity so
they need to treat each other equally and there should be mutual respect between the
learners and the teachers. The learners also need to be able to treat the next person with
respect, this is some of the aspects that realism creates space for regarding the learners.
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Accessed 09 February 2019