As a first year, first semester doctoral student life has all of a sudden become very eye opening. I have gotten advice from those who decided to take this doctorate journey before me and each time I have heard the consistent message of: “It’s going to change you. The way you think, the way you analyze and how you see the world in front of you.” Just like that, my world has shifted. Thus far, my major shift has come from my Philosophy in Education course.

Right away I was introduced to a man named Plato and his well-recognized writing on the Allegory of the Cave. It was that immediate moment, that I, for the first time in a long time saw myself embedded in within the story that I read.

The Allegory of the Cave is a written piece that describes, the process one encounters on the road to enlightenment. Similar to my transition into my doctoral program, I have experienced much enlightenment in such a short period of time.

But Philosophy hasn’t a walk in a park to grasp. Being introduced to philosopher I have never heard and their theories were slightly difficult to comprehend and adjust to. Below are my explanations (in the most street analytical way) of some of the philosophies we have been introduced to:

• Idealism – Your idea is your reality, if you think it… It is indeed real.
• Realism – Reality, Knowledge and value exist without our thoughts. (ie: trees)
• Religion – Yes, this is a philosophy! Has been a evident in how people think about issues, while studying the world, has arguably made society more compassionate and humane.
• Pragmatism – It is not just about the thoughts but the process of these thoughts and the things needed for us to achieve desirable needs.

It is no surprise, that in today’s society our lens adjust from philosophy to philosophy depending on the situations, environment and the supporting factors. However, it is important to note, that our world and the thought process in which we think has been passed down from generations to generations. We inherited ways of viewing our world from some of the ground-breaking philosophers like John Dewey, Plato, B.F. Skinner, and Jean-Paul Sartre.

Of all the philosophies we have encountered in the last six weeks, one that I can directly relate to is Existentialism. This theory hones in on one’s discovery of inner freedom. In the past five-six years, my personal life has included embarking on what it means to be happy without any of the external assistance or materialistic items. I went from being unaware of my own privileges and to recognizing where I have been afforded opportunities therefore allowing me to depend less on what my privileges provide and find my own happiness from within.

We started with the story of The Allegory of the Cave, an idealistic approach to thought and ended with existentialistic views, both have provided me a since of becoming free within myself and understanding the true meaning of enlightenment. As educators, we should aim to guide our students to their own internal freedom which will then lead to all aspects of education that surrounds them and the “simple” beauty of our world.

Our journey is uniquely individual, so should education!