Diffused sunlight enters through the cave through the entrance. One of these prisoners breaks free of his bindings and escapes the cave, when he leaves the cave he exits into a world of beauty and reality. The prisoner out of a sense of duty returns to the prisoners and tells them of the world beyond the cave. The prisoners do not believe him and kill him. Every aspect of the allegory is symbolic of Plato’s theory of the forms; the prisoners represent ordinary members of society who are not versed in the idea of the forms.
In Plato’s Allegory of the Cave, Plato describes a group of people who have lived chained to the wall of a cave all of their lives, facing a blank wall. The people watch shadows projected on the wall by things passing in front of a fire behind them, and begin to believe that the shadows are the real form of the objects. These people are blind to what reality is and what is truly out there. This is much like in the matrix where Morpheus presents Neo with the truth about his world by shedding light on the dark secrets that have troubled him. Similarly to the people in Plato’s Allegory of the cave and the matrix, we as humans in the modern world have also been kept shielded from what is true.
The philosopher then goes back into the cave to try and share his ideas with the other prisoners. The sun in the outside world illuminates the truth. When the philosopher first goes out into the light he is blinded by it. This could show that it’s painful to accept reality
These prisoners can break free though, by seeing the light, or God. After seeing the brilliantly shocking sunlight, the escaped prisoner will try to convince his old friends, the still chained prisoners, that there is an even better place to live in. These still chained prisoners might not believe the enlightened prisoner at that moment, but it is never impossible for someone to become enlightened by God. The allegory could also be taken in a completely different sense too. The cave could resemble a room in a house that has a television.
“The Cathedral” and “The Allegory of the Cave” are two short stories that resemble each other in the need to break free from negative illusions. In the “Allegory of the Cave,” Plato describes a man named Socrates who describes an illusion. This illusion included prisoners in a cave who have been chained by their arms and legs. These prisoners are bound to the floor and unable to turn their heads to see what goes on behind them. The prisoners are only able to see what the puppeteers are casting on the wall, which they perceive as reality.
The journey from the cave was described as impartially painful, like in the matrix; Neo seemed in some sort of uneasiness when getting to the real world; both men were given the option to stay or not; there was an image of both of them being pulled into the light; they were both prisoners, while in different ways, but never the less, still prisoners; and once they found the truth never the man in the cave or Neo could go back. Plato’s writing in the beginning was frightening. That man is shackled or confined and is only able to see what is presented to him is not a life worth living. When Socrates and Glaucon talk about the release from confinement and how that is surely better, it is easy to agree with their premises. To be able to study and question on one’s own terms is one of the great joys of life.
Plato (c. 427-347 BC) was an Athenian philosopher and a pupil of Socrates. Being an apriori philosopher, he devised theories through reasoning and thought, of which the ‘Allegory of the Cave’ is an example of. He also was the founder of the ‘Academy’, a prototype of a modern university where subjects were not ‘taught’ but rather took part amongst the students as a lively discussion. Here, as well as Philosophy; subjects included were Science, Astronomy and Mathematics. Plato believed in the immortality of the human soul.
What is the relationship of philosophy and the “city?” State your thesis and elaborate. 2. The “Allegory of the Cave” presents the metaphysical distinction of “appearances/reality.” Do you think Socrates (Plato) makes a strong case for this distinction or do you think this distinction is not valid or convincing? Your thesis/position should address the “hypothesis” of “a world” behind “this world” (i.e. the everyday visible, temporal world) as well as the conditions of truth/fiction (or illusion or “lie) that this hypothesis endorses or supports.
Socrates in Plato’s Apology of Socrates is defending himself against three charges. This essay will focus on Socrates’ defense against the charge of atheism and his seeming obsession with the gods. With closer inspection of the script and context in which Socrates is speaking brings up a number of questions. Is Socrates a religious person? Much of what Socrates uses to defend himself proves otherwise; this is proven in the story of the Oracle from Delphi.
Plato substantiates this theory with his theory of knowledge – largely expounded in the political allegory of The Republic – which will be exposed in the following pages to a critical assessment of its practicalities, values and implications. Plato wrote in a style known commonly as “Socratic dialogue”. Socrates was his mentor and, following his death, became the ‘protagonist’ in Plato’s dialogical writings. These writings, produced after the manner in which Socrates taught those who listened to him, are written so that the reader can follow the arguments developed through speech by Socrates and his interlocutors. His work The Republic, written circa 380 BC, is written in this style.