Plato's Allegory Of The Cave

This illusion had sounds and echoes of real words and voices. Socrates was described in the dialog as very brave and different he even informed other prisoners that the cave was a prison house to capture their souls. And that there is more to gain outside of the cave. According to Socrates none of the prisoners wanted overcome the cave and to be free they were fed and had no idea of the outside

Losin, Peter. “Education and Plato’s Parable of the Cave.” Journal of Education 178 (1996): n. pag. Web. 30 Mar. 2017

The Republic is considered to be one of Plato’s most storied legacies. Plato recorded many different philosophical ideals in his writings. Addressing a wide variety of topics from justice in book one, to knowledge, enlightenment, and the senses as he does in book seven. In his seventh book, when discussing the concept of knowledge, he is virtually addressing the cliché “seeing is believing”, while attempting to validate the roots of our knowledge. By his use of philosophical themes, Plato is able to further his points on enlightenment, knowledge, and education. In this allegory, the depictions of humans as they are chained, their only knowledge of the world is what is seen inside the cave. Plato considers what would happen to people

Plato uses this section of the dialogue to emphasize that he is now out of his realm of understanding and is in the Intelligible World where true reality, according to Plato, exists. Because the man can analyze and reason to move up to the Intelligible World, Plato shows this as a shift to the Realm of Mathematics. At the time, great value and importance was placed on the concepts of mathematics such as analytical and reasoning faculties of the mind and thus would have influences Plato to place it on a higher level. Due to his level of understanding and the major shift from one World to the other, he is overwhelmed and takes time to slowly learn the new concepts. However, once the man is adapted enough, he can look directly at the beings and the objects that cause the shadows on the wall. In the theory of the Divided Line, Plato exemplifies that the man is looking at what are the known as the Forms. The Forms are the perfect objects that exist in the higher realm of understanding and are shadowed on the wall of the cave. Thus, he is stating that what the people in the cave see are simply imperfect and skewed representations of the true and perfect forms from which they originate.

Lastly, the main point that Socrates tries to make is the difference between mind and sight. I say that because the prisoner was thinking something else but in reality he was seeing something else. For example when the prisoner first saw the sun he was very amazed. The concept of the sun was beyond what the prisoner's mind could handle but his vision proved that if he looked at it, he would get the concept of the

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.

Plato's main goal in the Allegory of the Cave is to communicate the relevance and importance of the concept of intellectual perspective. His real agenda is to illustrate that most people are likely perceiving the world around them in a much more limited manner than they realize and that most of us are, to some degree, living our lives in the same circumstances as the prisoners he

The final phase Socrates says the prisoner will go through will be his studying of the heavens by this point he believes the prisoner will be able to himself come up with conclusions regard the sun as “the source of the seasons and the years” (516c) and simply the cause for all he now sees and all he once saw. According to Socrates the prisoner will eventually recall the lifestyle and the people he left behind and began to feel a sense of pity for them but will cherish experience he has received on the surface. He says that if the prisoner were to ever return to the cave he would face the pain of having to readjust to the light in the cave and the ridicule of the prisoner who will see him as someone who has lost sight of the truth instead of the newly enlightened soul he is.

This quote comes at the end of Plato’s explanation of the allegory of the cave. The allegory of the cave is meant to show the human soul is affected by education. Education moves the philosopher through the stages on the divided line and later to the Form of the Good.

Assuming that Plato’s understanding of philosophy is based on the “Allegory of the Cave” reveals his ideas of human ignorance and enlightenment. Inside the cave, prisoners are restrained to see what is directly in front of them: merely shadows of puppets. The prisoners mistake the shadows on the wall for reality. This cave symbolizes a world in which not everything is as it seems. A prisoner breaks free from the chains and turns to see the fire behind him, symbolizing enlightenment.

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.

The things we are supposed to understand about Plato’s cave are how we end up in life, we start to learn at baby steps, and then we build upon each step. This is not only just the four ways of thinking, but the four ways of life (Pg. 322). Plato wants us to understand that everyone starts at the lowest level and then throughout life we build on each of the stages. Therefore, when he looks at the cave in a life perspective we understand that everyone doesn’t make it to each different level. That is why we have different professions in this world, because in the early ages we had warriors, workers, and kings. The kings made it through all 4 ways of life or thinking, and the warriors only made it through half of the 4 ways. The significant between the cave and Plato’s philosophy is that the cave represents his theory of

Plato then talks about the man coming back down the cave and telling the others about the different reality outside the cave. The purpose of this is to serve the common good and help other people out. This justice that the man is doing is something that every human should do as stated in the claim. The man’s dignity is not only in his newfound education, but it is found in reaching out to the other trapped in the cave and helping them see what is the truth behind the shadows. However, there are people who need to learn this but instead chose selfishness.

“They say they are able to put knowledge into a soul which hasn't got it-as if they were putting sight into blind eyes.” Plato’s allegory of the Cave has a very deep and complicated meaning which would pass over the heads of most who do not understand the level of of his piece. The cave, in this instance, represents the people who are trapped in a cave-like state because they believe that only what they see and hear is the only knowledge you can rely on. This is otherwise known as empirical thinking. The cave is the “cave of misunderstanding” because the people who believe in strictly what they see and hear are trapped in their own misunderstanding. In his allegory, Plato included a part where a prisoner who is set free of this cave of misunderstanding,

The one prisoner finally escaping the cave to the outside light shows symbolism as a higher level of philosophy. Returning to the cave was the choice of the prisoner, he felt compelled to spread his new knowledge. Plato’s uses him to represent breaking free from the normal mindset shared. Plato’s argument stands since the cave represents lack of expanding on common knowledge. Even after the prisoner returns to express his findings to others, individuals with philosophies different than the norm is dismissed because of their level above previous things thought of as true.