Chapter 1

What arguments is Plato putting forward through his connecting metaphor of the tripartite society and psychology?

Metaphors are a handy tool for philosophers; take a look at these slides: http://slideshare.net/bcole/teachers-and-teaching-metaphors-presentation

See if you can you suggest any others relating to teaching and learning.

Do you think the recent evidence from the American Psychological Association (2013) (www.apa.org/research/action/protect.aspx) which suggests the behaviour of children and young people is influenced and shaped by computer games and television is an example of Plato’s notion of plasticity of the young soul?

What do you think the impact of television and computer games is upon their reason and character?

Do you think educational policy and the curriculum have a role in shaping the reason and character of the young soul?

Take a look at the following links:

www.mc.maricopa.edu/~barsp59601/graph/charts/dividedline.jpg

www.hermes-press.com/dialectic_being.htm

These provide a pictorial representation of the analogy of the divided line. What points do you think Plato is making in terms of beliefs and true knowledge?

To illustrate the points made above, listen to the following commentary of the cave analogy: www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQfRdl3GTw4

Over the years, I have enjoyed sharing this commentary with the students that I work with and we have had fun applying it contemporarily. Students have likened the puppet masters to modern-day politicians who are confining what young people learn to the political and economic aims of the day! Another group likened the shadows to the images cast by television and computer games far removed from reality and a distraction from the real pursuit of learning.

Plato’s Republic and Rousseau’s Emile are both concerned with the creation of an ‘ideal’ education system. What would your ideal education system be? What would be the foci of your curriculum? What kind (if any) of assessment would you have? What would the environment be like? Would it be a school? Who would attend? Who would provide the teaching/facilitation? How would the classrooms/learning spaces be organised (age, gender, diversity)? What pedagogical approaches would be deployed? What would be the ethos of the education system?

By examining your education system, what does it tell us about existing systems in the UK?

To illustrate the above point further, listen to the prophetic dystopia, Zooropa (1993) by U2. Available at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlPGIDm-Bvc

Similarly to Camus’ Summer in Algiers (1955), Zooropa provides a phenomenological description of the absurdity of modern life by channelling the medium of European television into techno music, creating a nihilistic commentary on consumerism and commercialism. Reminiscent of Plato, it acknowledges the power and influence of ‘representational’ culture (i.e. poetry, painting and songs) in persuading and shaping minds.

Can you think of a time when a ‘utopian imagination’ (Halpin, 2005) would have helped you through a difficult period or a challenging educational practice?

Summarise the main points Levitas is making from the two quotes above, which provide a social and political picture of the last fifteen years in the UK.

What part do you think education has to play in responding to the points you have made?