Essays on Allegory of The Cave

Dr. Elizabeth Sikes

UCOR-2500-13 Close Reading of Plato’s Allegory of the Cave “There would, therefore,” I said, “be an art of this turning around, concerned with the way in which this power can most easily and efficiently be turned around, not an art of producing sight in it. Rather, this art takes as given that sight is there, but not rightly turned nor looking at what it ought to look at, and accomplishes this object” (Republic 518D-E). The foregoing quote in the Allegory of the Cave provides insight into the importance of proper education and balanced teachings that would enable people ...

Abstract

Human mind was always a mystery to humanity. Many thinkers and philosophers tried to solve its puzzles. Plato and Descartes are the philosophers who offer a comprehensive and well-known accounts of human mind and learning process. While both of them value the mind and wisdom the most, Plato considers contact with another very helpful in the process of learning while Descartes does not share his position. Plato's position is explained through his description of the ascent to light in the allegory of the cave while Descartes view is shown from his conclusions about mind and body from the Second ...

An ethical and political issue that has been difficult for people to address is gay marriage. Many people have strong opinions about the topic of gay marriage and weather two people of the same sex should be able to legally get married. There is a torn view with people who think that marrying the same sex should be allowed and that everybody has the right to be happy and love who they want. On the other side, some people think that a marriage should be between a man and a women and not people of the same sex. Religion ...

DD Month YYYY

There is no denying the fact that Ancient Greek’s philosophers brought a lot of useful and sufficient ideas, thoughts, and decisions to the people’s society. Plato was one of the brightest mind of that time. His works inspire people from all over the world. Moreover, his scientific approach and writing manner help many students to understand the core of philosophy, the structure, and basics of our society. Therefore, in order to see and evaluate several important issues such as good and justice, the Plato’s Allegory of the Cave is presented in this paper. ...

Introduction

At the first glance, The Matrix seems to be a cinematographic work of science fiction which is based on the clash of men and machines in a virtual world. The film was an unbeaten success in the 1990s and saw record-breaking revenues across the worlds. However, it is also true that there some specific manifestations of the renowned philosophical theories in this film. The core theme of the film is based on the notion that the world is an illusion and this concept has been used by many philosophers in this world to express their theories of philosophy. This ...

HU250 – section number

Introduction: One of the most famous concepts in philosophy is Plato’s Allegory of the Cave, described in his book The Republic. In this allegory, he describes a situation in which there are prisoners in a cave, not knowing of the reality and nature of light and thinks of the shadow puppets that they are used to seeing as reality, even though in fact it is a mere manifestation of it. Next, he outlines a situation wherein a prisoner is freed and gets familiar with the light, and thus sees things in a new way. He then summarizes that ...

Introduction

In contemporary society, the term “lament” is used in everyday conversations, yet it is an old method of expression with a wide-ranging history in biblical and cultural contexts. In the Bible and ancient culture, lamentation was a specific practice used in written lyrical texts. In the Bible, the lament is applied as a prayerful plea to the creator or a dirge regarding the death of destruction of someone or something. In literary culture, lament has been used in poetry as well as prose writing for a long time. The Biblical book of Job provides a vivid example of lament. ...

Plato, Descartes and the Matrix.

The movie The Matrix, The allegory of the Cave by Plato and Descartes ‘Meditation have striking similarities as well the differences. All the three convey the idea that our world and life are just but an illusion. All the works also question the relationship that exists between our senses and reality. The three works attempt to question the reality in which we live. The authors feel that this seeming reality might be controlled by an external force that our senses might not decipher. Plato, Descartes and the Matrix were pursuing what is true reality, away from ...

Philosophy 201

Which pill would you choose - red or blue? What is more important - a blissful ignorance or knowledge of the truth, whatever it might be? After watching "The Matrix", I think, everyone has asked themselves these questions. What is the matrix? One of the definitions which dictionary gives - "a hollow muscular organ located in the pelvic cavity of female mammals in which the fertilized egg implants and develops. Also called womb." [Thefreedictionary.com]. In technological meaning, this is “a container that can be filled with a material (such as very hot metal) to give the material a new ...

Plato’s Allegory of the Cave

Plato is one of the greatest philosophers of antiquity. He is the founder of the theory of ideas, and in order to explain it, he created the allegory of the cave. This myth has become a symbol of metaphysics, epistemology and dialectics, as well as ethics and mysticism: the myth that expresses the whole life and works of Plato.

There are four meanings ​​of the allegory:

1. The idea of ​​the ontological gradation of existence and about the types of reality (sensible and supersensible) with its subtypes: shadows on the walls are a simple appearance of things; statues are the things perceived by senses; stone wall ...

Plato’s philosophical works show a link between perception and reality in human beings.

Most of the items discussed in the Allegory provide the readers with a better understanding of how they correspond to their lives. After a close oversight of what Plato plots out in his discussion, one tends to understand the different perspectives he aimed to expose. The Allegory of the Cave talks about a group of people who lived their entire lives in caves. All through their lifetime, they did not know about the light, and their exposure to fire and sculptures created by another group opened up their minds to new discoveries. Using the interpretations and symbols, Plato seeks ...

The literature often uses such techniques as allegory and metaphor. Allegory, according to Miriam and Webster dictionary, is “a story in which the characters and events are the symbols that are used to describe the ideas of human life as it is or its individual constituents”. One of the most striking examples of allegory in literature is Plato's work "Allegory of the Cave" in which people are shown to the reader's eyes as chained cave dwellers who are not seeing the daylight and are watching the movement of shadows that are projected on the walls by means of fire. ...

There is a strong connection between the allegory of the cave and today’s society. In the part one, Socrates tells his friend, Glaucon, that those people who have been living in the cave since their childhood are unfortunately unable to see the other world because they are afraid to see that there could be something different outside the cave. In today’s reality, many people are trapped inside their houses, household chores and social media. We are growing up in a society, in which everyone is living according to the common plan. In particular, many people go to ...

Introduction

Plato is perhaps one of the most well-known philosophers in Western history. Even if many people don’t fully understand his ideas, most are aware that he was a very important and influential thinker. How did someone who lived over 2000 years ago have such a tremendous and lasting impact on our culture? By introducing a new way of seeing the world that revolutionized how philosophers defined truth. In The Republic and The Apology, Plato uses the character Socrates (based on, but probably not an accurate representation, of his teacher) to explain his view of truth, his method for ...

___________ University

Abstract

Many people never had the opportunity to travel. Some refuse to travel and prefers to remain ignorant of other cultures and societies. Those who do travel can sometimes still lead very ignorant lives because they refuse to accept the reality of other cultures or societies. However, some travelers can accept the reality of foreign societies and can not only immerse themselves in the foreign culture but also educate others about what they had experience. Through traveling, I was able to learn about the social issues of other countries firsthand. I also learned that many cultures have been ...

Plato’s “Myth of Cave” is a very famous allegory, also known as “Allegory of the Cave” was used in Plato’s work “The Republic”, which is written in the form of Socratic dialogue. “Myth of Cave” is considered to be the best work that shows Platonism and objective idealism in general. Plato’s “Myth of Cave” is a symbol of metaphysics, epistemology and dialectics also it is the symbol of the whole Plato’s philosophy.

People live in a cave, in the cave with the entrance directed to the light that illuminates the entire length of ...

The ethical quandary in Robert F. Ladenson’s Friends and Lovers presents a situation in which one member of a group of three friends, Claire, must make a decision about how to deal with information she has received intimately concerning her other two friends, Tony and Beth, who are engaged to be married. Tony has revealed he had a brief affair but asked Claire to keep the fact a secret, and Beth has asked Claire if she thinks something is “going on” with Tony. Claire’s decision on how to deal with the situation will differ depending on what type of ethics she ...

Complete Name of Student

In Plato’s Allegory of the Cave, the cave symbolizes the set of ideas presented to us ever since our birth (Gaarde, 1996). We are made to believe that these are the absolute truths and the people representing them are the absolute authorities. In this sense, the cave dwellers were governed by the idea that the cave was all there is to the world and the shadows was all they had. In the same way, some of us were born and grew up with particular beliefs systems and ideologies we thought was all and absolute. We hold on to ...

CONTEMPORARY RELEVANCE OF PLATO’S ALLEGORY OF THE CAVE

Plato’s Allegory of the Cave is drawn from his tremendous works on the Republic. It is literally a conversation that takes place between Socrates and Gaucon. The conversation is categorized into three parts. The first section is the scene within the cave. According to Kernan, the second part of the discourse deliberates on the three stages of liberation and the third creates a picture of the prisoner returning to the same cave. The scene in the cave is one of gloom and darkness, with prisoner chained and unable to move around, even their heads could only face one single ...

Allegory of the Cave, also known as the Analogy of the Cave, is a story narrated by the famous Greek philosopher (Plato) in his popular writing called the Republic. The story talks about three men chained to the wall such that they cannot turn their heads. Behind the prisoners is a fireplace. There is also a parapet (between the prisoners and the fire) along which puppeteers can walk. As the puppeteers hold up puppets, they cast shadows onto the wall of the cave. However, the prisoners cannot see the real objects; they can only see shadows on the wall cast by objects ...

Cyber-hate

Cyber-hate is an offence of propagating hate majorly through the internet. It is rampant in the 21st century due availability of devices which enable access to the internet such as smartphones, tablets and computers. Cybercrime has become such a thorny issue that combating it has become the main agenda of many a government. The social websites were also invented in the 21st century. Cyber-hate is so important a topic since it addresses the issues at stake and pertinent to the human race, the shortcomings that come with them and probably considers recommendations for combat of such vices. Cyber-hate can cause trauma ...

The central claim of this paper is: the movie Million Dollar Baby is a cinematic argument containing the central thesis of Plato’s Allegory of the Cave from Republic and Aristotle’s moral philosophy from Nicomachean Ethics. First, the allegory of the cave will be explained as well as Aristotle’s theory of virtue. The paper will give examples from Eastwood’s film to back up the thesis, along with possible counterarguments. The story of the cave is Plato’s argument for how knowledge begins in darkness and ascends towards truth (517a). The ascent to knowledge is gradual. Darkness ...

Education is one of the crucial components in society. Belief and knowledge are concepts that always confuse people, especially when one decide to focus on them. Plato is one of the greatest philosophers who understood education in a different perspective. Plato defined education as the initial acquisition of virtue during childhood. Especially when affection and pleasure are channeled in the right course before rationality. Plato understands education as the basis of every society. Through his understand childhood still could be identified and given proper education to make them useful in society. A child requires education in order to fulfil their ...

The Allegory of the Cave is one of numerous brilliant and multifaceted stories in Plato’s book entitled “The Republic.” The narrative is a story regarding the hidden truth of the outside world. The narrative takes place underground in a cave where prisoners are compelled to watch a show that they suppose is what life consists of. Thus, there is a glowing fire set back behind them and a wall where puppets are shown in order to cast images on the wall in the face of the prisoners. Their heads are, therefore, chained so that the only thing they are capable of seeing is ...

Introduction

Oedipus the King and The allegory at the Cave are great allegories with excellent moral teachings. Oedipus the King is an Athenian tragedy that was written by Sophocles. It tells the story of King Oedipus and his virtuous reign in power over the people of Thebes. The allegory at the Cave was written by Plato and it offers moral lessons on the importance of education. Both stories compare relatively well on several areas and offer timeless moral lessons to societies across social and cultural divides.

Comparisons of the stories

The two stories were told by philosophers who defined morality and upright living in ...

Argumentative Essay

Philosophy is one discipline that has been used pervasively by great thinkers and scholars to pass moral lesson to the society. This field uses parables, fiction, and symbolism to communicate to the society. The three books, Myth of the cave, Abolition of Man and The Inquisitor pursue human various human values. A collection of these literary works gives a comprehensive teaching on human life. Education and enlightenment is the major theme running across the three publications. Moral values, education, religion, and freedom of choice are interwoven to address the dimensions of human life exhaustively. This essay aims at exploring an ...

Analyze the educational systems of the U.S., China, and India.

Where do you see them in light of Plato’s cave?

Education according to Plato is meant to correct confusion and help students to discern between light and darkness. Education can only be achieved when it is able to free individuals from the bondages of their perceived thoughts into acknowledging, understanding and embracing truths as they are. The image from the cave offers an apt analogy of the human condition in terms of education or the lack of it. The prisoners in the cave are chained, unable to turn their heads and are only able to see shadows of objects ...

All throughout the history of mankind, nations have been fighting for freedom. However, being free is not only limited to not being imprisoned, enslaved or restricted to move (Oxford Dictionaries). Perhaps, the greatest freedom is that of breaking the boundaries of self and thinking of the greater picture, which David Foster Wallace extensively describes, in In His Own Words. In fact, if one has ever read The Allegory of the Cave, by ancient Greek philosopher, Plato, will immediately recognize familiar paths in Wallace’s commencement, as it was posted in The Economist magazine on September 19th 2008. Plato ...

The allegory of the cave is all about the different levels of knowledge or enlightenment. Plato tried to explain what he knew about a philosopher- King. He tries to create a scenario where people have lived in a cave since they were born and that they have never seen light and all they do is just look all straight ahead. There is nothing they can think of in life other than where they are and what is in the cave. This can be symbolical of when a person’s brain is empty and does not know anything outside their thoughts and that they ...

Plato, as one of the most important philosophers and learners in human history, placed a great emphasis on the pursuit of knowledge and its effects on our worldview. When exploring Plato’s philosophical stance on learning and education, it is important to understand his use of the ‘allegory of the cave.’ In it, he describes the philosopher as someone who is able to free themselves from seeing just the ‘shadows’ of reality, and can now see the true shapes of it. This ties back to his ideal of an aristocracy in society, wherein those same philosophers would go back to ...

Plato is a revered classical Greek philosopher whose teachings continue to be applied to this day. He was a student of Socrates and lived from 427 BC to 347 BC. Among his highly regarded teachings is the classical allegory of the cave tale. In the story, Plato applies metaphoric techniques to highlight how human kind view and perceive reality wrongly. Precisely, the allegory’s message is that our senses are deceptive as they are just imperfect reflections of the reality that can only be seen clearly by those who yearn for knowledge in a disciplined manner (Blackburn 33). This paper will give a ...

Ancient Greek History Essays

1. What are the Names and Dates of the 4 Historical Periods of Hellenic Civilization? What are the major events/people that pertain to each?

Hellenistic civilization showed the success of Greek influence in the ancient world. This period also portrayed an era of history is the period which followed the conquests of Alexander the Great and was referred to this by the historian J. G. Droysen. This period highlights four major events which are the Delian League, Wars of the Delian League & Peace of Callias, the Peloponnesian War and the Spartan & Theban Hegemony and the triumph of ...

The role of leadership in a state or an organization is one that requires a great deal of forethought and determination – an entire philosophy is dedicated to the employment of sound leadership principles when others are at one’s command. Plato’s “The Republic” discusses these aspects in detail, settling upon the idea of the philosopher-king as the ultimate solution for effective leadership of an organization or state. He explores the role of philosophy through a number of analogies that, in essence, argue for an aristocracy wherein the philosopher is allowed the power to make policy due to his greater understanding of ...