The Essence of Education

Education is one of the main components that lead to the ultimate meaning of justice, which is what “The Republic” is mainly concerned with. In order to define what justice really is, there must first be an elimination of misconceptions regarding education, and then a connection between education and justice, from Platos point of view. Finally I will be commenting on education from my own point view and relating it to Plato’s. Plato starts of by explaining what education is perceived to be. He states “ Education isn’t what some people declare it to be, namely putting knowledge into souls that lack it, like putting sight into blind eyes.” Therefore true Education’s aim is not to implant facts and figures in a person’s head; although there is no harm in them being learned in the process, that is not that main aim. Many people believe that the wiser and more knowledgeable a person is, the more information he has on a certain topic, but that is what Plato is arguing against, and that is what I completely agree with. We are now living at a time where as knowledge and science advances everyday, it is abused more everyday. For example the use of explosives can be used for very good and legitimate purposes, like construction sites etc. but they can also be used for bombing peoples homes and killing innocent people and children. Would the people attaining this beautiful knowledge to create such disastrous incidents, be just or good? In my opinion no they are not. Thus, in case achieving this knowledge is not just or good.
Plato identifies the true essence of Education by saying “ The power to learn is present in everyone’s soul, and the instrument with which each learns is like an eye that cannot be turned around from darkness to light with out turning around the whole body”. In this quote Plato says that everyone has the tools needed in order to learn, therefore everyone has the ability to learn. But in order to use these tools to the best of their ability an individual must make an effort first to find the light. Hence, direct it to the right path in order for knowledge to really be ensured. I agree with Plato to some extent in this quote. I do believe that every single person has the ability and the tools to learn and achieve knowledge. In the part in which he addresses as “the turning of the whole body”, I understand it as letting go of ones comfort zone in order to face new difficulties and learn from them. What I disagree with is the idea of always facing the right direction. In reality you will not face the “right” direction ever for the first time, without first facing the wrong direction, learning from it, and reaching the right direction. So one can still learn and be just by facing the wrong direction. Plato goes on to say “ This instrument cannot be turned around from that which is coming into being without turning the whole soul until it is able to study that which is and the brightest thing that it is, namely, the one we call good”. Here Plato elaborates that in order for the tools of knowledge to be directed to the right path, one must turn his soul into a pious and pure soul. A pious and pure soul is only obtained through having rightful and pure intentions for finding the just and the good only because of the goodness or justice itself, not because of any divine consequences or any personal advantages. I do not agree with Plato in this part because in order for the soul to be pious and pure it doesn’t have to be selfless. Finding the truth for the sake of the truth is needed for justice but in reality there will always be other external and possibly selfish reasons for achieving this truth, even if it is not conscious, and not explicitly known to the person. I do not believe it is humanly possible to create a good deed with out achieving any personal advantages. For example a person passing by a beggar decides to give him some money. This may appear to be only for the sake of the beggar but in reality, helping out the beggar may create a feeling of satisfaction that extremely pleases the person, and that is not wrong.
In conclusion Plato’s definition of an education that leads to justice and goodness is an education that is used in a pious way for pious deeds, and carries good intentions, and finally inspires a man to seek learning the truth only for the sake of the truth itself, no other advantages. Justice is viewed in Plato’s point of view as the source of everything, after you reach it everything else that you have encountered before in your life makes sense, because everything is inter-related, and once you reach this understanding of the “justice” and the “good”, you are at ultimate ease. This ultimate good cannot be reached with out Education.