Plato's Allegory of the Cave and Advertisements

In Plato’s, Allegory of the cave, a key theory I found was the importance of education. Plato uses an “allegory to illustrate the dilemma facing the psyche in the ascent to knowledge of the imperishable and unchanging forms” (104) Based on my research of the republic, the allegory can reveal multiple hidden messages. Plato describes, ordinary mortals are chained within an underground chamber, which according to Fiero, represents the psyche imprisoned within the human body. These mortals can’t look sideways only straight ahead. They also can’t leave the cave and are facing a cave wall that they can see shadows from a fire of what they imagine are men. These mortals have been in this cave since childhood, which makes them believe the shadows themselves are the men, not a reflection of an actual man. Again, according to Fiero, the light, represents true knowledge, and the shadows on the walls of the cave represent the imperfect and perishable imitations of the forms that occupy the world of the senses.

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.

Have you ever judged a person, an object, or even a place by what it looks like on the outside? Or maybe you have judged all of that just by what someone else has told you. Everyone in this world has either judged someone or something in their lifetime or has been judged. Many people out there in the world also believe they know many things and have tried to get the point across to someone and well, they just don’t believe them in any way. They believe there point of view is more right than the other persons and sometimes that can get a little out of hand, depending on who you are dealing with. I guess the major point in all this is to never judge a book by its cover, always learn yourself.

Plato is suggesting that It is a painful process thinking in new ways. This is clearly expressed in the ascent out of the cave up the rock path. Once outside the prisoner would still be struggling to understand the new world that was around him, he would simply focus on the shadows that objects cast in the sun, as this would be the easiest for him to do, because of his way of life leading up to that point. After time, he would be able to see objects as they truly are, because the sun represents the truth. It is the sun that provides the true shape and colour in the analogy and so the sun represents the Form of the Good.

Advertisements, as far back as the second quarter of the twentieth century, have become a part of everyday life, whether we like it or not. Practically any activity contains some form of advertising. Radio, for example, is routinely interrupted by a call to listeners’ innermost insecurities as consumers.

This portrayal of emotions, of the inferior part of the soul, in Plato’s beliefs, “awakens and nourishes and strengthens the feelings and impairs the reason.” (41) Plato considers this indulgence irrational and useless. The superior and rational person (the ideal statesman) would pride himself on the opposite qualities and in times of sorrow or passion would suppress urges to openly sorrow or indulge in pleasures. Summing up Plato’s philosophy, the imitative artist is a long way from the truth and can write or paint any and all things because he does not know about the subjects he creates; he denies the rational principle of the soul and overly indulges in emotion resulting in the neglect of justice and virtue, (45) and has not found a proper purpose in the ideal state.

In the Allegory of the Cave, Plato portrays a story of prisoners in a cave. The prisoners are facing the wall and chained at the back of the cave. They have spent a lifetime in the cave as prisoners, restrained in a position that they cannot move their heads and look around. At the entrance of the cave, there is a fire, which has puppeteers in front holding objects up in order to have their shadows appear on the back wall of the cave. The shadows remain perceived by the prisoners as actual objects.

In Plato’s book, The Republic, he explains the path from ignorance to knowledge using a metaphor of men bound by chains in a cave, and how if only one man is set free to experience true reality and is sent back to tell the others of the truth, they will not understand and will act against the man in accordance to their ignorance. He illustrates the idea that we are all conditioned to see the world in a certain way, from the perspective that is given to us by the ‘system’ in which we live. When we have the opportunity to see the truth in reality, it becomes a personal journey as we discover a new understanding of the same reality. We will become excited about our newfound understanding and will be compelled to share it with others.

In Plato’s allegory there are many major concepts of knowledge and how new knowledge can alter a person’s entire life. One of Plato’s points is that people will cling to what they have always been told when presented new knowledge and may terrify them. Plato says: “. . . you must not wonder that those who attain to this beatific vision are unwilling to descend to human affairs; for their souls are ever former state he had seen the shadows . . . that what he saw before was an illusion . . . Will he not fancy the shadows?”(Plato’s Allegory pg. 4) Another point Plato made is that the truth, more times than not, is painful. Plato says: “And if he is compelled to look straight at the light, will he not have a pain in his eyes which will make him turn away...” (Plato’s Allegory pg. 3) Plato also makes the point that sometimes knowing the truth and trying to break people who stay firm to their old beliefs may be strenuous and will be cast out. Plato says: “. . . if there were a contest . . . in measuring the shadows with the prisoners who had never moved out of the den . . . would he not be ridiculous? Men would say of him that up he went and down he came without his eye . . . and if any one tried to lose another and lead him up…they would put him to death.”(Plato’s Allegory pg. 4) These points can be seen in students life’s as they grow in knowledge.

From nutrition to entertainment, the body is always in need of something. Likewise, the body can provide inaccurate depictions of reality. An example of this could be a mirage in the desert. The body may think it is seeing something, but in fact the sense are perceiving a false image. According to Socrates in the Phaedo, all these things can take away from a philosopher’s ability to reason and obtain the truth. Likewise, this same Idea also persists in the Republic. Plato argues that things like drama, poetry and painting provide imitations to the truth. These imitation can pose a threat by being allies for ‘inferior’ parts of the mind and leading mind away from truth (Sabina, 7). Although, to counter these arguments Morris states that even if the reality that is being sensed is inaccurate, it does not mean that it cannot be apprehended at all; it is still possible to understand reality, even if the reality being taken in is not entirely correct (Morris, 11). Some reality, even if incorrect, is better than nothing at all (Morris, 11). Granted, at the same time philosophers must be cautious not to fully believe everything being sense. This is why the Socratic Method is so important. Everything, even the truth, must be questioned to full understand the world.

So often in life people take shortcuts as a means to obtaining the goals they seek. Why work toward a Master’s degree when a Bachelor’s will suffice? Why ask questions about a particular candidate in an political race when it is easier to choose a party to support? Surely those in charge know more than we do, so why should we refute them? According to Plato, this attitude exhibits a lack of education (educare), which leaves a person blind to the truth. The Republic by Plato clearly defines the overall theme of education (educare) through paideia that is crucial to the purification (katharsis) of the soul (psyche) by turning the soul (psychagoge) toward the good via “the

A frequently asked question in the advertising industry is, do marketers manipulate and emotionally persuade their consumers to buy their products? Or are consumers buying products without manipulation and persuasion from the marketers? In this paper, I will argue that marketers are manipulating and persuading consumers by creating a need that does not otherwise exist to buy a product through advertisements. Manipulation is a clever technique that producers use to create loyal consumers. Marketers also use emotive persuasion tactics in their advertisements to get consumers’ attention. I will also argue that there are approaches that can counteract manipulation and persuasion in advertising. Finally, I will conclude that manipulation and persuasion techniques must be controlled.

Individuals in today’s society are completely immersed in persuasive propaganda and they follow these advertisements blindly, losing consciousness of real life. Surrounding us in everything we do advertisements have an influence, when it comes to the music we listen to, the food we eat, the church we attend, or maybe even the things we buy. Our society listens and interprets advertisements as a guide to the things we think we want or need. In her article “Jesus is a Brand of Jeans,” Jean Kilbourne focuses her argument that advertising

With the help of an allegory, Plato explains the sensible world of illusion and belief, the place where most people reside. The philosopher has stepped outside this

Unfortunately perhaps, we cannot look at Plato's treatise on education to learn about his educational theory because he does not write analytical treatises. Instead, Plato employs written dialogues to inspire philosophical insight in his students. In light of Plato's dialogical style, the dramatic context introduces new complexities to the project of figuring out Socratic pedagogy.