Studied by 0 people
Looks like no one added any tags here yet for you.
What is the analogy of the cave?
Prisoners have been in a cave since birth.
There is no natural light and they are all chained to each other so that they cannot move and cannot see one another.
Object are put in front of a fire which cast shadows - phantoms.
These prisoners believe they are real object, taking great interest in them and discussing them.
Suddenly one prisoner can escape and leaves the cave.
He is blinded by the light, but slowly his eyes abject and sees the truth of all objects.
He goes back to the cave to educate the other prisoners.
They think that he has gone insane and so kill him.
What does the cave represent?
The cave represents the dank society and world - plato believes that the world is flawed and inferior (the world of the many)
What do the prisoners represent?
Members of society who don’t use rationality to uncover the truth
What do the shackles represent?
Ignorance and our flawed world - society is ignorant to the truth
What does the escapee represent?
Socrates/ any philosopher who looks for the truth
What do the objects outside the cave represent?
The forms - the perfect form of every object
What does the sun represent?
The form of good - the highest form
What do the shadows represent?
The particulars which imitate the forms - the false reality which humans see
What does the return represent?
Socrates trying to enlighten society
What does the murder of the escapee represent?
The death of socrates - societies resistance to truth and philosophy.
What are some positives of the allegory of the cave?
it helps us to understand abstract concepts of justice, truth and beauty
reflective of how difficult it might be educating people in subjects they are not interested in
gives a lesson to those who have a poor attitude to learning
it simplifies a complex idea of the forms → it is a format that is accessible
it reflects the academic journey and how this is a difficult process
challenges the reality that we experience
encourages people to refuse to accept what they are told
Which book of the republic is the analogy in?
Book 7
