A primer on Plato, from Fordham University's Grad. School of Ed.

1. Plato:The Republic
BooksVI &VII
EDUCATION ISN’T WHAT SOME PEOPLE DECLARE IT TO BE,
NAMELY, PUTTING KNOWLEDGE INTO SOULS THAT LACK IT, LIKE
PUTTING SIGHT INTO BLIND EYES (P. 190)
What Education Isn’t…

2. Plato in Popular Culture
Blue Pill or Red Pill

3. Who was
Plato?
Not the myth but the man
(click on the picture)

4. ISSUES THAT I NEED
YOU TO KNOW
 Prior to John Dewey and the
school of Progressive Education
(i.e. liberal education), Plato’s
model of teaching & learning
dominated the America
educational landscape (and
probably the world) for over 2,400
years!
How, you ask?
 Teacher as the UNQUESTIONED authority in the classroom
 Students as sponges of knowledge
 Relentless rigor and focus on classical knowledge (Greek & Latin)
 Education was NOT for the masses (HOW SHOCKING!)

5. BookVI:The Sun
Metaphor
Even The Beatles were
fans . . .
OK, thought that was
corny . . .
Read from: p. 181
(really, do it now)
Answer the questions
on the next page . . .

6. BookVI:The Sun Metaphor
How is the “Sun” a
metaphor for
teaching?
How is the “Sun” a
metaphor for
learning?
How is the “Sun” a
metaphor for
education?

7. MY VERSION OF THE SUN . . .
 I WENT TO A VERY TRADITIONAL CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL.
MY JUNIOR YEAR, I HAD AN ENGLISH TEACHER NAMED “MR.
WICKE.” IN THIS VERY TRADITIONAL SCHOOL, MR.
WICKIE READ TO US SOME RADICAL POETRY BY WILLIAM
BLAKE, WHO SPOKE ABOUT THE ABUSES OF CHURCH & THE
DANGERS OF INSTITUTIONALIZED RELIGION.
I WAS IN COMPLETE SHOCK! HERE WAS A MAN IN A
CATHOLIC SCHOOL SPEAKING ABOUT THE ABUSES OF THE
CATHOLIC (& ANGLICAN) CHURCHES. IT WAS AS IF MY MIND
WAS FILLED WITH LIGHT AND I BEGAN TO SEE FOR THE
FIRST TIME.

8. YOUR VERSION OF THE SUN . . .
Do you have a “Mr. Wicke” in your past?
Great teachers can liberate their students from The
Cave.

9. Four Conditions of the Soul
Understanding
Thought
Belief
Imagining
 This hierarchy of Plato’s is not too
familiar with modern notions of
“intelligence” (i.e. Bloom’s
Taxonomy)
 In fact, these 4 conditions of the
soul are not representative of
“cognitive” intelligence, but more of
a spiritual intelligence.

10. Four Conditions of the Soul
Understanding
Thought
Belief
Imagining
 how do you see these 4 conditions
in your personal life?
 when it comes to teaching, what
step are you at?
 is it even possible to achieve
“Understanding” as a new teacher?
 what does this hierarchy have to
say about the “art of teaching”?

11. BookVII:THE ALLEGORY OF THE CAVE
Click on the picture! The music is really creepy, but the explanation is effective

12. The Cave Allegory
Answer the questions . . .
Forget about for a moment if you “agree” or not with Plato’s Cave Allegory.
After all, are you not becoming a “philosopher king (queen)” here at
Fordham?
 How do teachers “enlighten” students?
 How do we bring students “out of the cave”?
 What have you learned in this class that has “brought you out of the cave”?
 Aren’t you like the person going back & helping others?
 What truth are you trying to “show” your students?
 Have you lived in ignorance in some way and that is why you are becoming a
teacher?
 Do you owe something to your community?
 Why a teacher? Why not a banker? A stock broker? A money maker?
 Could it be that there is a bit of Plato in you?

13. More on Plato:
Teachers being tested
 “…they must show themselves to be lovers of their city
whenTESTED BY PLEASURE AND PAIN and that they must hold
on to their resolve through labors, fears, and other
adversaries” (p. 176).
 What do you fear about teaching? Standardized tests,
“tenure,” unsupportive administration, discipline &
control, lesson plans, grading, being bad-mouthed in the
news, etc….
 We all KNOW the CHALLENGES, here’s a PLATONIC
SOLUTION (READ ON POTENTIAL PHILOSOPHER KING)

14. HOW WOULD PLATO
 DefineTeaching & Learning?
 How would Plato answer the essential question of this
course:
 TO WHAT END EDUCATION?

15. PLATO IS ALL
AROUND YOU, IF
YOU WOULD JUST
OPEN YOUR EYES.
. .
The Statue
of Liberty is
based upon
the Platonic
principle of
“seeing the
light.”

16. 3 Philosophers; 3 different
perspectives
Plato
BaldwinDelpit

17. Plato:THE END
You are DONE