Read Lockhart Interpretation Of Plato's Cave

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.

In the Allegory of the Cave there are chained prisoners in cave who can only stare at the cave wall in front of them. At the back there is a long entrance with a staircase the width of the cave and a fire burning in the distance. They see only shadows projected in front of them from a raised platform and hear an echo that they attribute to what they observe. They talk about and name the shadows of objects they see before them. To them the truth are the shadows. Then one day one of the prisoners is released. He is told that what he saw before was an illusion. Once he is outside it takes a while for his eyes to adjust to the sun. First he observed the shadows of thing then their reflection and finally the actual object. Remembering his previous state he goes back to the cave and tries to explain that everything is an illusion but they laugh at him and think he’s crazy. They believe it best not to ascend and they choose to remain as they are. The cave represented opinion. The shadows that are cast on to the wall represented physical objects. The prisoners represented the common people (Welles).

This caused in him a feeling in which he had never felt before, and thus inspired him to new things to get himself more aquatinted with God:

Imagery used by Plato as part of his writing style of allegory examines the shadows of the cave as ideas offered at surface level. Plato is showing people are there to believe what is given to them because they do not know anything else to be true. The shadows are explained, as “truth would be literally nothing but the shadows of the images” (Plato 450). Shadows are a brilliant use of imagery because they resemble something dark, indescribable, and hard to recognize. This helps support Plato’s argument because the truth can only be seen at the basic level without any complex details; it is just known to be true. His philosophy is that people can only see beyond the surface if they have to capability to do so and believe, what others think is crazy.

When looking into the water he is able to see a reflection of himself and through that image he is able to reconnect to his inner self and look back at what his original plan was. When he sees himself he is reminded of the spiritual muttering “om” and that single word brings him solace and peace. He was able to find his Self once again and continue his journey to enlightenment.

“Those who contemplate a rare and excellent object are pleasantly surprised by the astonishment and admiration they experience at the first sight of the object, even before they recognize in detail the particularities of the subject they are contemplating” (pg 114). And this seems to become the weakness for the soul but it actually becomes the strength and energy. The soul gets its strength from its weakness, elevating itself to a higher standard or greater light. Due to the sacred mystery of Incarnation we are touched by the great importance of this and we, according to the author, believe that we have to lift ourselves to God and praise him in the unique work of his and to take in the secrets and the depth of the mystery. In the same way, we leave the earthly things and contemplate the “true sun of the world” the one that enlightens us. “For the sun is the image of God, the Father of nature, the universal source of life.” (pg 115). And through this Jesus is his image in both natures divine and humanity. The sun was formed in the midst of days set aside for creation. The sun became the source of light for both heaven and earth similar to the eternal

There, however, he grows ac-customed to the new sights and sounds and realizes that what he knew to be his reality were only those things that he saw through a medium—a silhouette. In that place, as Plato put it, it would first be easiest for him "to make out the shadows, and then the images of men and things reflected in water, and later on the things themselves." Then, "easier to watch the heavenly bodies and the sky itself by night, looking at the light of the moon and stars rather than the Sun and the Sun's light in the day-time." Next, after realizing those things, that he had a responsibility to return to his old darkness, but this time to tell of the things he knew and to struggle towards new ends: as Plato said to Glaucon, "to watch over and care for the other citizens." Moreover, and more importantly, to lead his inferiors in the knowledge of truth to-wards his position.

In the story The Allegory of the Cave, Plato describes the perception of reality. He explains how to interpret ideas or objects in different perspectives. The story he tells about the cave could have influenced different modern day ideas. Some ideal examples might include religion, abuse, and imprisonment. Plato’s cave theory applies to all of these ideas and can show many different perspectives.

of the human mind to a new influx of light and power; he believes in inspiration, and in ecstasy.

One of Plato’s more famous writings, The Allegory of the Cave, Plato outlines the story of a man who breaks free of his constraints and comes to learn of new ideas and levels of thought that exist outside of the human level of thinking. However, after having learned so many new concepts, he returns to his fellow beings and attempts to reveal his findings but is rejected and threatened with death. This dialogue is an apparent reference to his teacher’s theories in philosophy and his ultimate demise for his beliefs but is also a relation to the theory of the Divided Line. This essay will analyze major points in The Allegory of the Cave and see how it relates to the Theory of the Divided Line. Also, this

In the beginning he could still only focus on the shadows as legitimate. Over time he was able to identify the true form more precisely, then able to identify the sun, which is the originator of the shadows he has observed his whole life. At this time, the prisoner expresses sympathy for the others in the cave and wants to enlighten them

He then saw the shadows, which he once believed to be real, for what they truly were; a mere representation of reality. At this point, the prisoner’s state of mind represents a higher level of understanding; uncovering things for what they veritably are rather that accepting them for what they appear to be. In our society, this superior level of apperception is only obtained when one begins to question information and applies individual acumen. When one is able to acquire an individual perception, they will not only augment their intellect but also develop a greater understanding of the world around them. In chemistry, before the periodic table was discovered there stood the four-element theory.

Plato, being a Socratic apprentice, followed and transcribed the experiences Socrates had in his teachings and search of understanding. In Plato’s first work, The Allegory of the Cave, Socrates forms the understanding between appearance vs. reality and the deceptions we are subject to by the use of forms. In the cave, the prisoners’ experiences are limited to what their senses can tell them, the shadows on the walls, and their shackles; these appearances are all that they have to form their ideas. When one of the prisoners begins to question his reality he makes his way out of the cave and into the day light. This prisoners understanding of his reality has now expanded, thus the theory of forms; when he returns to the cave to spread the news, the others do not believe him. They have been deceived by their reality and what

Plato, a student of Socrates, in his book “The Republic” wrote an allegory known as “Plato's Cave”. In Plato's allegory humans are trapped within a dark cave where they can only catch glimpses of

Unlike the statue however, the young man is not concentrated with thought, but rather passionately engaged with the text. His slightly open mouth paired with a reverent stare leaves no question of doubt about his concentration on the Astronomical treatise. The roundness of his features accentuated by the softness of the light make the astronomer visually attractive. The reddish hue given off by the candle further infers the man’s strong passion for learning.