Perhaps the first thing we notice about the prisoners in the cave is that they are looking in the

wrong
direction. Their bonds prevent them from turning their heads away from the rear wall of the cave, and what
they need to see is behind their heads (514B1-2, 515A9-B1). The first step in the journey out of the cave is
to stand up and turn around towards the firelight (periagein, 515C7), and the first impulse of the freed
prisoners upon being made to look towards the firelight is to turn back towards the familiar shadows
(apostrephein, 515E2). This notion of orientation is central to Plato's idea of education: he later describes
real education as the art of orientation (technê... tês periagogês, 518D3-4) and the educator's task as that of
turning souls around (metastrephein, 518D5).[6]

This is to be contrasted with what Plato presents as a common practice of educators, who "claim to
introduce knowledge into a soul which doesn't have it, as if they were introducing sight into eyes which are
blind" (518B6-C2). Such a view of education neglects the fact that the power to learn and the organ with
which to do so is present in everyone (518C4-6, 519A3-B6, 527D6-E3, 530B6-C1). Education, Plato
remarks,

should be... the art of orientation. Educators should devise the simplest and most effective methods of
turning souls around. It shouldn't be the art of implanting sight in the organ, but should proceed on the
understanding that the organ already has the capacity, but is improperly aligned and isn't facing the right
way. (518D3-7)

Plato refers to this power to learn as phronêsis or intelligence at 518E2, where he goes on to say that it is
useful and beneficial, or useless and harmful, depending on its orientation (518E4-519A1). Part of Platonic
education, then, consists in reorienting this neutral capacity of intelligence, directing it away from one sort
of object and towards another.Plato wants to effect by means of education. Since the goal of Platonic
education is to produce philosophers, we need to know how best to bring people whose primary desires
may be for food or drink, or for good reputation, to the state where their primary desires are for wisdom
and truth.