Characteristics Of Plato And Thomas Jefferson

Leadership is, and always has been, a vital aspect of social and economic constructs. It is essential to the survival of societies, industries, organizations, and virtually any group of individuals that come together for a common purpose. However, leadership is difficult to define in a single, definitive sense. As such, theories of leadership, what constitutes a great leader, and how leaders are made have evolved constantly throughout history, and still continue to change today in hopes of improving upon our understanding of leadership, its importance, and how it can be most effective in modern organizational cultures.

What is leadership, and how do we attain the best and most effective leaders? These are questions that are as old as civilization itself. Bass (1974) wrote that, “from its infancy, the study of history has been the study of leaders” (as cited in Wren, 1995, p. 50). Since the study of history in the West is commonly held to begin with Herodotus of ancient Athens, it is not surprising that we should examine the historical views of leadership through the eyes of two titans of Greek thought: Plato and Aristotle.

First what is perception and ignorance? Let us define perception as one’s view of life through rationalization of the external world and ignorance as an assumption without proof and contemplation. In the “Allegory of The Cave”, Plato uses Socrates to explain different types of people, one who sees the physical realm accepting ideas as they form and one who lives in knowledge realm by questioning those ideas. People of the knowledge realm are obligated to helps those in the physical realm by removing what Socrates refer to as ignorance through questioning. This is shown as prisoners of the cave look to the walls as their perception of their world which relates to people’s limited perception of the world such as people who grown up religious deny anything outside of God, in addition, people in higher state of perception are obligated to help those in lower states; this relates to real world as people seek mentors for advice.

In the allegory written by Plato titled “Allegory of the Cave”, Plato discusses the concept of seeking knowledge and gaining wisdom. He uses a story of prisoners trapped into a cave to represent the confines of reality that humans are put into, and a lone prisoner exiting the cave to represent a philosopher seeking a greater understanding. Plato’s writing tells of the flaw that all humans share, which is the fact that we believe our perceptions to be the absolute, incontestable truth. It is this flaw that can easily affect our spiritual, educational, and political knowledge, hindering us from having a full grasp on actual reality beyond what we visually see. His rhetorical devices, tone, symbolism, and imagery all lend themselves to giving

Leaders are a vital instrument in the orchestra of how the world turns today, but often times the responsibilities of leaders are misconstrued. However, there are several texts out there that explain fully what a leader’s role is. Two of these texts are The Odyssey by Homer and “Farewell Address” by George Washington. The authors of these documents were very wise and respected in their times, one being an eternally famous philosopher and the other the very first President of the United States. The Odyssey by Homer and “Farewell Address” by George Washington display clearly the loyalty, unity, and humility a leader should have.

Leadership is the ultimate form of service; it requires leaders to devote much of themselves to deal with the responsibilities that come with the title. They not only serve as normal members, but they must make important decisions with their followers’ interests

In order to understand the moral fabric of the world, it is important to question any information that is given to an individual, instead of blindly accepting the majority opinion and giving it full credibility and validity based on other people’s opinions. Plato’s work, The Republic introduces the allegory of the cave, which is metaphorical scenario that attempts to explain the importance of questioning norms that may seem trivial. Plato illustrates a cave where bounded prisoners have lived all their lives in seclusion, away from the outside world. In their immobile state, they can only look at the wall in front of them which is illuminated by a small fire that has been going on behind them. The wall constantly projects shadows of people

It shows how people are afraid of change and the unknown. Plato’s curious way of thinking poses a serious question. Are there absolute truths and to what extent humans can and do participate in those truths? The story Allegory of the Cave is Plato’s theory on how we attain true knowledge.

Plato’s, “Allegory of the Cave” is an enlightening piece of literature that can help its readers understand complex parts of themselves. As one reads the allegory, they begin to question if they are like those in the cave, who are closed minded and base their beliefs solely on shadows. Some may realize an enlightening moment or event they have been through and try to share their knowledge with others like those who were let out of the cave in the allegory. Subsequent to reading the allegory, many will desire further enlightenment and will be more compelled to teach the truths they find to others. Plato challenges the minds of his readers through his allegory and forces them to question their own truths.

Leadership philosophy is who we are as a human being and what we believe. Everyone is a leader but do you believe it? That’s the question. To be a leader you have to possess certain traits according to writers and philosophers. I believe that leadership comes over time; you have to make mistakes to make things better. You need to realize what kind of leader you want to be. I Also, believe that to be a good leader I need to possess my own personal beliefs and values, Family, Humility, Responsibility. As I think about all the leadership in my military career and the ones I read about such as Colin Powell; I noticed that all of them have their own value to accomplish greatness in their life. Each Leader is distinctly unique individual. Leaders always take a bath for a change everyday. In this paper I will explain my values in detail. (Dr. Denis Waithley).

Many individuals question human nature and how our society is created to find justice. “Allegory of the Cave” written by Plato, a Greek philosopher, was a dialogue between Glaucon and Socrates.. In Plato’s Allegory of the Cave, depicts the idea that some people are seeing the truth to be “aching. People were born to be told things, which naturally believed is hard to know what is true. They are unable to see the reality and when told the truth, it would be hard for people to accept it any other way. As a result, people would exceed its limits to find the truth. Some may say this allegory, is the reflection of our world today .There are many representations that can be shown how this can be applied to how we live our everyday lives. One of

This paper discussed The Allegory of The Cave in Plato's Republic, and tries to unfold the messages Plato wishes to convey with regard to his conception of reality, knowledge and education.

Brianna Vega August 10, 2014 Truth, what does it mean to know what the truth is & how can we validate what the truth is? In Plato’s “Allegory of The Cave “ Plato demonstrations how people validate the truth based on what they see; but things aren’t always as they may appear. The people in the story think that the shadows in the cave are real when in all actuality the shadows were just illusions. Just because the people saw the shadows doesn’t mean they are valid.

Reality is a concept that is different to most people; it is generally what humans perceive to be true and “normal.” However, in the passage The Allegory of the Cave, written by Plato, he tells about a circumstance where the reality is not the truth. Since the beginning of time, human’s ability to understand reality is limited by their inability to prioritize, their stubbornness, and their skewed ethics.

There are few core values that both scholars and laymen alike can agree serve as integral components to understanding human existence. While these values are often broad in nature, they help build the fundamental foundations to answer common existential questions that plague mankind. One of the most prominent core values that is frequently discussed by both professionals in academic circles and inquisitive minds in casual conversations is the value of truth. Truth appears to be a simple and objective concept on the surface; however, its breadth is vast and can create numerous sub-discussions on the nature of humanity and existence. Many philosophers have expounded in the nature of truth: what it is, what it means in relation to humanity, and how understanding the essence of truth can aid in the quest to answer mankind 's existential questions. One of the most famous allegorical tales that pontificates on the reality of truth is Plato 's The Cave, using the story of two chained characters forced to understand their reality based on mere shadows of images passing through a fire behind them. This paper seeks to explode Plato 's ideas of truth in The Cave, asking questions on truth 's universal value, the absolute nature of truth, and how truth can be both a problematic and useful value when applied to society at large.