The Role of Aporia in Plato’s Model of Education

(Question #2)

In The Republic, Plato introduces the topic of education as an integral and vital part of the

larger discussion on the well-being of society itself. According to his writings, a “just” society

should seek to present the best education to all of its members, man and woman alike, stating in

Book V of The Republic, “If women are to have the same duties as men, they must have the

same nurture and education?” We gain perspective of Plato’s “model of education” from many

of his works, but particularly The Republic and The Apology. Within these dialogues, one can

attempt to gather information regarding Plato’s assumed ideal educational representation based

off of what is shown through the character of Socrates, his actions, and his words. The many

roles occurring in Plato’s assumed model are meant to work cohesively with one another to

present the ideal outcome of turning one’s soul to what truly is, giving aporia the role as a stage

of realization, a tool of humility, and a turning point within the pedagogic scheme.

When defining terms, aporia is recognized as the point of overwhelming perplexity or

difficulty understanding. To begin to form an opinion of the role of aporia, we must first

acknowledge Plato’s perspective on other roles in the model of education. In a presupposition of

a model, one may identify the role of the teacher, the student, the relationship between the two,

and the curriculum as a whole, however, just as Socrates would seek to look past a simple

answer, one can use Plato’s dialogues to lead to understanding the role that aporia may play

within the pedagogic scheme.

Aporia can first be seen as a stage of realization in Plato’s model of Education. Within

the “Gadfly image” in The Apology, Socrates states that “he has been placed here by the Gods”

in service of the city to “sting fellow citizens and wake them up” to the question of virtue. The
sting refers to the feeling of aporia and what follows is the sense of being “woken up,” or a sense

of realization within the learner. With aporia acting as a stage of realization within Plato’s model

of education, this leads the learner (or in The Apology, Socrates’ fellow citizens) to turn in

another direction. This “direction” is the realization that one does not truly “know.” Plato writes

in Socrates infamous line,

“To fear death gentleman is no other than to

think oneself wise when one is not to

think one knows what one does not know

no one knows whether death may not be

the greatest of all blessings for a man

yet men fear it as if they knew that it

is the greatest of Evil's”

leading to the next role of aporia in Plato’s education model, humility.

Aporia as a tool of humility in Plato’s model of education can be recognized in Socrates’

point that one is only wise if they know they are not wise, in the idea that “stinging” hurts

because one realizes they are not all-knowing, and within the allegory of cave, when one

ascends. Socrates’ description of the “brightness” in the cave story represents aporia which

humbles the learner into realization that their reality is not the whole reality, and that life is not

limited to their perspective alone. This idea clearly displays aporia as an act of humility to the

learner because of how the assumed “truth” is destroyed by the learners ascent to the sun or “the

good.” Furthermore, aporia creates a newfound sense of diffidence through perplexity within the

eristic characters Plato writes about, thus providing evidence of how this tool (aporia) in

education is used to humble even the most arrogant of learners. An example of this is
Thrasymachus in The Republic who is perplexed to frustration, ultimately, leading to him giving

up on the conversation! Now, what one does past the point of aporia marks how recognition

impacts the learner, leading to an entirely new discussion itself…

This brings aporia to its final, and most abstract, role in Plato’s education model as a

turning point for the learner. What one does past the point of aporia depends on how perspective

is influenced, leading to further ascent or, for most, descent. Thrasymachus, like many, simply

backs out due to frustration, the jury in The Apology, responds in fear and uproar by condemning

Socrates to death (similar to the apprehensive cave-dweller who threatens the returner with death

in the allegory of the cave), and the select few, the philosophers, pride themselves on the goal to

move past the point of aporia with the intent of “stinging” others. Plato gives versatility to the

role of aporia through many of Socrates’ interactions with others and their responses to this

point of perplexity. By doing so, this gives aporia the identity as a turning point for a learner in

the assumed education model. What one does past this moment, whether they refuse to

acknowledge and begin descent, or if they move to say “I myself have been stung” and “return”

to begin the journey of turning other’s souls to what is by “stinging” them, both destinations

confirm aporia’s role as a turning point for a learner.

In the end, one can only use Socrates as a simple gateway to understanding a potential

model of education itself. By using penetrating questions, Plato’s Socrates goes beneath the

surface of the things which the sense perceive and arrives at a purely intellectual concepts in both

The Apology and The Republic. Plato presents a tool of a presumed educational model with Book

VII of The Republic stating, “this is the alternative I choose,” he said, “that it is for my own sake

chiefly that I speak and ask questions and reply.” With this style of dialogue from Plato, many

times, aporia plays a role not only within the character’s interactions, but within the reader of
Plato’s works. Plato’s “aporetic” idea that turning the soul or mind around to what is real (what

most truly is) by changing its desires, not just filling someone with knowledge or filling blind

eyes with sight is an educational concept that can partially be experienced through reading about

Socrates, his stories, and his many questions. From this I am made aware that I do not truly

know, and I will not claim to know the full mystery that is aporia’s true role. I can however,

continue to participate in discourse and make the decision to move forward, despite my own

perplexity…With this in mind, pondering the question and the implementation of aporia’s role

within modern pedagogy based of off its role in Plato’s assumed model creates my question,

should students be encouraged to embrace the struggle? Should we encourage our students that

perplexity itself is realization and humility is the next step to wisdom? and should we, as

teachers, seek to “sting” our students in order to reach the potential turning point in their

educational path?