Answer the question in maximum 10 words. This question carries 02 marks. [MPPSC 2022] Why does Plato say that’sense-perception’ is not a knowledge?
I think almost anyone will easily say it's quality education. Those freebies are there to inspire the students to keep on coming back to schools. But, what is quality education? Is it the education that private school students get? Because I'd disagree that they are getting quality education either.Read more
I think almost anyone will easily say it’s quality education. Those freebies are there to inspire the students to keep on coming back to schools.
But, what is quality education?
Is it the education that private school students get? Because I’d disagree that they are getting quality education either. Obviously, from an academic and marks perspective, yes but from a social and emotional perspective, no. Even from a mental perspective, no. Students aren’t taught basic skills such as critical thinking, analyzing, etc. It follows a ‘dictatorship’ model whereby the teacher is the dictator, and students are its followers. What this does is, induce fear into their growing brains. A fear-based teaching model is never okay, it only yields to temporary results as well as scars the child’s brain. Now, the ‘quality education’ has made this adult depressed, as well as fearful or even worse, he has become as scary as his teachers.
I’m not blaming the teachers; I know how hard it is to handle students while maintaining your cool. I’m blaming the system at large whereby our students’ emotional and mental health is neglected. If the teachers were given proper training instead of simply hiring those who have a better knowledge of their subject, then it would’ve been better and that is what I’d call ‘quality education’.
As for the government schools, I think it is hard to maintain proper infrastructure, pay for their teachers’ salary, training as well as give freebies. Hence, for now the freebies way is pertaining. But is it better?
If freebies are given:
- Students will come regularly.
- They will have motivation to study.
- They may not pay attention to class and only focus on freebies.
- Teachers may not be as qualified.
If quality education is given and negligible freebies:
- Students may not come regularly.
- Those that are coming, will genuinely grow and learn.
- Students may feel motivated via fun activities and workshops held by the teacher.
- Teacher will genuinely engage and help the child learn.
It seems obvious that why second option is better or why quality education is better.
But if an organization or school has lesser students, their business won’t generate as much profit. This at the end is the answer to almost every problem, how money keeps us stuck, almost every organization must generate more profit to prosper or else they won’t work out.
I wish there was a straight cut answer to your question, but it never is. It usually leads us to dilemmas..
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Introduction According to Plato, 'sense-perception' does not qualify as true knowledge because it is linked to the physical world, which is in a constant state of change and, therefore, unreliable. For Plato, true knowledge must be certain and unchanging, something that sense perception cannot proviRead more
Introduction
According to Plato, ‘sense-perception’ does not qualify as true knowledge because it is linked to the physical world, which is in a constant state of change and, therefore, unreliable. For Plato, true knowledge must be certain and unchanging, something that sense perception cannot provide.
1. The World of Forms vs. the Physical World
Plato divided reality into two realms: the World of Forms and the Physical World.
2. Sense-Perception is Subjective and Unreliable
Plato argued that sense-perception is subjective because different individuals can perceive the same object differently. For example, an object may feel hot to one person but warm to another. Since our senses can be deceptive, they cannot be a reliable source of knowledge. In contrast, knowledge of the forms (such as the form of beauty or justice) is objective and eternal.
3. The Allegory of the Cave
In his famous Allegory of the Cave, Plato illustrates how people are trapped in a world of shadows, perceiving only reflections of the true forms. The prisoners in the cave mistake the shadows (which represent sense-perception) for reality, but these are just distorted images of the real objects (the forms). For Plato, this demonstrates that sense-perception is inferior to intellectual reasoning, which leads to the understanding of the forms.
4. Recent Example of Sense-Perception Limitations
In modern times, the unreliability of sense-perception can be observed in scientific fields. For example, optical illusions trick our sense of sight, leading us to perceive something that is not real. Similarly, the advancement of technology such as virtual reality (VR) can simulate experiences that seem real but are artificial. This modern example aligns with Plato’s idea that the physical world, as perceived by the senses, is not a true representation of reality.
Conclusion
See lessIn Plato’s philosophy, sense-perception is not knowledge because it deals with the changing and imperfect physical world. True knowledge, for him, comes from intellectual reasoning and the understanding of the eternal and unchanging forms. His ideas continue to be relevant, as seen in modern examples like optical illusions and VR, which show that sense-perception can indeed be misleading.