Examples Of Plato's Cave Allegory

In these, he tested to see how wise so-called wise men were and each and every time he claimed that these men were not wise at all. Socrates went and tested all sorts of men from poets, politicians, and artisans. He claimed that all were inferior to him because they claimed to know much when they knew not much at all. And that, although he did not know all the tings these men knew, he was still wiser. He went so far as to tell these men what he thought, and even stated all these feelings in the court. This, no doubt, led to his general hatred more than any other act. But I wonder, had anyone ever questioned Socrates? And on what basis did he judge wisdom? Socrates claimed that a man who thought themselves the wisest were the least, but that is exactly what he was, a man who thought himself the wisest. Maybe he was the type of person to dislike any man who’s intellect challenged his own. “Is there not here conceit of knowledge, which is a disgraceful sort of ignorance? And this is the point in which, as I think, I am superior to men in general.”

In the ‘The Allegory of the Cave’, Plato uses a philosophical situation to help us as the reader to examine our perception of life by what is around us. Plato uses such an abstract situation to show that we can mistake the information that we gain due to our position in a situation for truth.

“After long perplexity, I thought of a method of trying the question. I reflected that if I could only find a man wiser than myself, then I might go to the god with a refutation in my hand” (Plato 199). He validated his belief in the oracle to disprove the accusation of his atheism and show this as the reason behind his “mission to find a wiser man.” In “Socrates: A Companion to the Philosophers, John Beversluis says, “This disappointing venture had convinced him that the god was right: no one is wiser than Socrates, albeit only in the modest sense that, unlike the others, he does not claim to know what he does not know.”

Socrates, knowing that he needed ethos in any statement that the jury themselves had not witnessed, used the credibility of other well-respected individuals within the Athenian community. While describing what he does that makes so may dislike him, Socrates told the jury that Chairephon, a man who was a friend of most people in the jury, asked the oracle of a god if there was anyone wiser that Socrates. The answer was that no one on earth was wiser than him, so Socrates set out to find someone wiser than himself. Because Chairephon was dead he could not be a witness, but Socrates stated that Chairephon’s brother would testify to this story, thus validating

When the Oracle claimed that there was no one wiser than Socrates, he saw that the oracle was probably speaking metaphorically. As far as Socrates knew, he had no special knowledge or particular wisdom whatsoever. He hypothesized that there were many other men much wiser than himself. He then came up with the “Socratic Method” to figure out exactly what the oracle meant. The Socratic Method—a negative proof—can tell when something is wrong or false, however, it cannot assert anything. Socrates tried to prove the gods wrong by finding some of these men to question to prove they were wiser than him and then presenting them to the oracle.

Socrates uses this to question the Oracle's claim that no one is wiser than him, while he was sure that he had no particular wisdom at all. To test the Oracle, he questions Athenian men who were known for their wisdom and reached the conclusion that he truly is wiser than others. Socrates also claims that an "unexamined life is not worth living for a human being" (38a) for, without self-examination, life

Upon hearing the oracles answer, Socrates was confused and did not know the meaning of the Oracle’s answer. At that time, before Socrates understood the meaning of the oracle, he was aware that others were wiser that him, he just didn’t know that admitting it himself would prove that he was actually the wisest. In order to try to understand the meaning, Socrates needed to search for proof of someone wiser than him, until he finally figured out that admitting his own ignorance was the true meaning of being the wisest (Navia

Socrates has made people despise him throughout Athens partly because of his method of discussion, which entails using cross-examination to answer important philosophical questions. He believes God has ordered him to investigate if human wisdom is worthless. (Pg 27, 23b). Socrates begins his investigation after the Oracle of Delphi claimed that no one was wiser than Socrates. (Pg 26, 21 a-b).

“The lowest level is ‘not being wise, but seeming wise, especially to oneself.’” During his trial, Socrates explains his conquest to understand human wisdom and search to discover what the oracle meant which said, “[Socrates is] the wisest man in the world.” (Apology 21b) He set out to understand what the oracle meant by questioning the people who had well known reputations for wisdom. When he interviewed them, he noticed that in they only appeared to be wise when in fact they weren’t.

He goes on to tell the story of why he began to challenge the intellectuals of society in the first place. Socrates tells of a deceased friend by the name of Chaerephon who “… went to Delphi and boldly asked the oracle to tell him whether… there was anyone wiser than I [Socrates] was, and the Pythian prophetess answered that there was no man wiser.” This troubles Socrates, and he contemplates what this statement really means. Unable to come to a sound conclusion, he devises a plan to get the answer he seeks: “I reflected that if I could only find a man wiser than myself, then I might go to the god with a refutation in my hand. I should say to him, ‘Here is a man who is wiser than I am; but you said that I was the wisest.’” After meeting with a man who had a reputation for being wise, however, Socrates departed without the man wiser than he. He left the man, thinking to himself: “Well, although I do not suppose that either of us knows anything really beautiful and good, I am better off than he is – for he knows nothing, and thinks that he knows.” After encounters with multiple men who possess supposed wisdom, Socrates realizes the prophecy must be correct: “… but the truth is, O men of Athens, that God only is wise; and in this oracle he means to say that the wisdom of men is little or nothing…” Socrates proceeds to question Meletus in front of the councilmen. He questions Meletus about the charges he has brought against him and his reasons

Socrates found his purpose through oracles and dreams by a divine power, “…since I was trying to find out the meaning of the oracle, I was bound to interview everyone who had a reputation for knowledge.” (Apology 22a), from the oracle of Apollo, Socrates believed that his purpose was to philosophize. Socrates would question reputable wise men and try to prove the oracle that he (Socrates) was not the wisest man. After interviewing men with a high reputation, Socrates began to expose them for their ignorance and their deficiency. He also determined that his wisdom was of no value, yet he was the wisest mortal. He also established that there are three levels of wisdom; “real wisdom” (the highest), being “wisest among men” (the middle), “not being wise, but seeming wise, especially to oneself” (the lowest). Even after establishing his purpose and proving the oracle, he felt as if he should still philosophize (Mission from God, pg. 20). Along with morality, Socrates had the belief that our purpose in life was to examine how to live, he thought that we must come

Plato’s Apology examines Socrates speech during his trial and subsequent guilty verdict as told by Plato himself. Here, Socrates attempts to defend himself in his quest to find an individual wiser than he. We learn that Chaerepho, a friend of Socrates, had questioned The Oracle Delphi on whether there existed a man wiser than Socrates. The Oracle Delphi claimed that there was no man wiser than Socrates which Socrates only believed to be true as he did not consider himself wise at all, instead, he believed wisdom comes in understanding that we know nothing and must continue to seek the truth.

According to Plato 's Apology, Socrates ' life as the "gadfly" of Athens began when his friend Chaerephon asked the oracle at Delphi if anyone was wiser than Socrates; the Oracle responded that none was wiser. Socrates believed that what the Oracle had said was a paradox, because he believed he possessed no wisdom whatsoever. He proceeded to test the riddle by approaching men considered wise by the people of

He did not feel that he was even slightly wise let alone the wisest man. He tried to prove the oracle wrong by examining reputedly wise men and he realized that they thought that they knew things that they did not and this made them unwise. It was after these encounters that Socrates realized that the oracle "meant that human wisdom is worth little or nothing."(19) It was this realization that made Socrates wise.

Socrates finds that once evaluating his own life, he begins to have a new and deeper thought on life itself.  Through his life, he has been held to be by many people, one of the wisest men to exist.  The Oracle of Delphi had even spoke on this when asked by Chaerephron if there was even a wiser man, then Socrates (Plato, trans. 1871).  This didn’t stop him in the search to find the wisest man, asking politicians and such around him, and even decided to talk with one who he had believed was to be wiser then him.  After conversing with him, however, he saw that