Allegory of the Cave 2
Plato was born 427 B.C. and died 347 B.C.. During his studies, Plato wrote the Dialogues, which are a collection of Socrates' teachings. One of the parables included in the Dialogues is "The Allegory of the Cave". Plato illustrates his dualistic theory of reality at the beginning of Book VII of the Republic. Socrates says, as he introduces the allegory, imagine mankind as living in an underground cave which has a wide entrance open to the light. Deep inside are human beings facing the inside wall of the cave, with their necks and legs chained so that they cannot move. They have never seen the light of day or the sun outside the cave. Behind the prisoners a fire burns, and between the fire and prisoners there is a raised way on which a low wall has been built, such as is used in puppet shows as a screen to conceal the people working the puppets. Along the raised way people walk carrying all sorts of things which they hold so that they project above the wall-statues of men, animals, trees. The prisoners, facing the inside wall, cannot see one another, or the wall behind them on which the objects are being carried - all they can see are the shadows these objects cast on the wall of the cave.The prisoners live all their lives seei
Reading this story at the time that we did, was very helpful and informative for me. At the time of reading this, my philosophy class was discussing Socrates and Plato. We thoroughly discussed "The Allegory of the Cave", and its meaning. I don't think that I would change anything in the story. I enjoy this story exactly how it is. I do believe that there are many underlying meanings to this story and that everyone has their own opinions to what it means. This is just one of the evaluations that I came up with. ng only shadows of reality, and the voices they hear are only echoes from the wall. But the prisoners cling to the familiar shadows and their passions and prejudices, and if they were freed and able to turn around and see the realities which produce the shadows, they would be blinded by the light of the fire. And they would become angry and would prefer to regain their shadow world. But if one of the prisoners were freed and turned around to see, in the light of the fire, the cave and his fellow prisoners and the roadway, and if he were then dragged up and out of the cave into the light of the sun, he would see the things of the world as they truly are and finally he would see the sun itself. What would this person think now of the life in the cave and what people there know of reality and of morality? And if he were to descend back into the cave, would he not have great difficulty in accustoming himself to the darkness, so that he could not compete with those who had never left the cave? Would he not be subject to their ridicule, scorn, even their physical attack? These are som
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Approximate Word count = 1083
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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