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Plato allegory of cave summary
Allegory of the cave by plato conclusion
Allegory of the cave by plato conclusion
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Megan Bruenger
Mr. Jennings
AP English Literature and Composition
19 June 2017 Plato’s “The Allegory of the Cave”: Education The allegory of the cave can often be used as a metaphor for the way that people take in information. This process entails learning. Education is all about receiving information and what you chose to do with it. It also involves considering the source of your information and realizing that you may not be able to accept the first thing you hear. The prisoners in the cave are chained to a wall and are not allowed to move their heads. Therefore, they can only see the shadows projected by the puppeteers and the people outside that pass by. The prisoners classify and identify the shadows as their own
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They think of themselves as superior because they have “seen the truth”. They know the secrets of the earth that the lesser prisoners do not know. However, the prisoners, seeing the blindness that the prisoner that left has experienced upon returning to the cave, vow to never be dragged out into the light. The prisoners in the cave see how painful the reality beyond what they are accustomed to can be. In this way, this could be an explanation for people who don’t want to further their education or do not wish to learn. They see the task of learning as painful and potentially detrimental to their health. Even though they may learn more and know a greater reality, they are too content to move on. They do not wish to know further. Despite education being difficult and sometimes not what you expected, the allegory does display that is it necessary for personal growth. The prisoners that are content with their reality will never develop further due to their refusal to move on. However, the allegory also makes a point to explain that the new reality is not better and both should be learned and respected. In this way, education is essential to the human experience and the seeking of greater knowledge is ultimately a positive
The Allegory of the Cave by Plato, shows the contrast between sense experience and rationalism. The story explains that in the cave where some people have known nothing of the outside world and can only comprehend what they see based on what little they do know of their cave. The people have come to the conclusion what the shapes represent and what causes them and believe it to be correct and thus believe it as the reality of the world. However what they don’t know is that this is not the world and what they will soon find out is that the things they once saw with their eyes what they smelt, what they heard, what they felt were just shadows of real images and objects cast on the wall by fire. What this does is show that sense experience can be at fault because the one perceiving is at times is ignorant of the fact that they know nothing of the true reality of the world and its workings. One must be showed how things are in order to learn and thus no longer be ignorant but have now begun taking steps towards wisdom.
They are facing the wall, they are unable to move or see anything besides the shadows of their own bodies, puppets and objects, which are intentionally substituted by other people. The shadows appear on the wall from the fire that burns behind them. Prisoners can also hear the sound of an echo that reflects from the wall. The only reality that they know and are aware of, are the shadows that they see and the echo that they hear. Everything changes when one of them have a chance to leave the cave and finds out what the truth is and how the world looks like. The process of finding out the truth is not easy, it is quite painful and overwhelming. It takes time for a prisoner to adjust and comprehend the new information, considering the fact that knowledge that he had was far from the truth. What is even more challenging, is the posture of the prisoner after discovering the reality, who has to go back where he came from. He does not agree to live in denial for the rest of his life with other prisoners who believe in the shadows. Since he discovered what the truth is, he does not want to be fed up with lies anymore. (Plato
Only one prisoner can understand the truth, but what about outside of the story. In The allegory of the Cave one prisoner is let free and forced up and is allowed to see what real life is like, and it is completely different from what he already knew. When the other prisoner’s see him, the other prisoner’s think he is delusional. This is similar to politicians switching parties or displaying opinions that differ from their party. The Allegory teaches a tremendously strong lesson, regardless of age, it can still be applied to modern day propaganda.
James Baldwin once said “It is only when a man is able, without bitterness or self-pity, to surrender a dream he has long cherished...that he is set free, that he has set himself free - for higher dreams, for greater privileges.” This quote displays the abundance of courage that is needed to leave everything an individual has in order to move forward. The bravest thing he can do once he has lost his identity, is to surrender who he was and open his mind to the possibility of wo he is going to be.
In the Allegory of The Cave, Plato states that "the prison world is the world of sight, the light of the fire is the sun, and you will not misapprehend me if you interpret the journey upwards to be the ascent of the soul into the intellectual world according to my poor belief". Everything described in the Allegory of The Cave holds a double meaning as a symbol for something else; the prison world symbolizes our world and the fire casting shadows on the walls of the cave is in actuality the sun. Only the sun isn 't just the sun, it is a representation of the good and the truth in this world. When one reaches this level of enlightenment, according to Plato they not only find the truth of their existence, but they also find the good in life, and
The "Allegory of the Cave" represents a complex model on that we tend to are to travel through our lives and understanding. The four stages of thought combined with the progress of human development represent our own path to complete awareness during which the most virtuous and distinguished can reach, and upon doing so shall lead the general public. The story as told by Socrates and Glaucon presents a unique look at the manner during which reality plays such a crucial half in our own existence, and the way one understands it may be used as a qualification for leadership and government.
It is meant to teach us about the effects that education has on a person’s soul. There are a series of different stages that the prisoners go through. He begins the story explaining a dark cave where people are bound to. They cannot stand, or turn their heads; they can only look straight forward. The illustration in the book shows a fire behind the people which has a partial wall behind it. Shadows are seen by the prisoners, which are considered to be reality. Whatever the prisoners speak of is based on the shadows that they watch. This stage is considered to be the imagination
Now we can picture it that one of these prisoners was librated. First, the prisoner sees the statues and fire that is causing shadows. However, he then believes and sees the shadows as reality and the statues plus bright fire as illusions. Next, when he fined his way out of the cave then he saw true objects for the time. The true objects signify the ideal forms, which are not visible to us. In order words, this was the juncture of the intelligible world. Moreover, this prisoner had gladly and willing...
The earlier passage refers to the rigid society we are born into that has us all fixed into a common point of view that doesn’t give us much room to look at the same thing at different perspectives. The cave allegory can also apply to societies created by totalitarian systems in which only distorted information flows through with no other conflicting perspectives that may cause the people in the cave to question what they’ve seen before being able to flow through. Since we grow up being prisoners to the society we grow up in, we’re actually comfortable living in bondage in the cave and the only way to leave is voluntary. If someone gives you information that completely contradicts your perspective, or leave for college with a closed mind, just like in the allegory, the light outside the cave will compel you to flee back to ignorance because it offends your perspective, “And if someone compelled him to look at the light itself, wouldn’t his eyes hurt, and wouldn’t he turn around and flee towards the things he’s able to see” (Republic VII 515e 1-3). From what's described, someone else can’t force you out of your own ignorance and that only you can do
They no longer bury their heads in the sand or look down at a wall reflecting shadows. They have sought knowledge and by seeking knowledge instead of assuming they have it they have become wise. The people chained to the wall are a metaphor for humanity ,chained thereby their own insolence and unwillingness to believe in the possibility of more .I think they chained themselves willingly, happily, blindly. consequently when one of the prisoners escapes, this is why they do not follow suit and when he returns with the news of his gained wisdom they kill him. Simply because it is easier to fear what you do not understand than it is to embrace what you do not know and seek to make the unknown known.
Inside the cave the only knowledge that you can experience is the knowledge that is already installed into your head. In the cave viewpoint “The truth would be literally nothing but the shadows of the image.”(Plato 450) M This quote explains that everything that is viewed in the cave is only a shadow of the real thing. But, the outside of the cave is made up of real images that can be hurtful “He will require to grow accustomed to the sight of the upper world” (Plato 451). This quote explains how humans need to adjust to new knowledge. At first, the outside of the cave is defined as unreal, because you are in denial that there is more to the world than just your cave. When one realizes the actual things that are present outside the cave one will want to spread the word and tell the other prisoners. But, one will not spread the word because the other prisoners will not be open to the knowledge. They will see your viewpoint as being insane do to the fact that they have not been exposed to the
American’s education system has been entering crisis mode for a long time. Throughout the past few years, the overwhelming question “Is college needed or worth it?” While it is an opinion, there are facts that back up each answer. Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave” mentions that the enlightened must help the unenlightened and further their knowledge. The problem with America today is that high school students are given the option of college and that makes for less enlightened people. While it is possible to learn in the work force or Army, college is a better option. Mary Daly wrote the article “Is It Still Worth Going to College?” which talks about the statistical value of attending. Michelle Adam wrote the article “Is College Worth It?” which mentions the struggle young people are going through to even get into college. Caroline Bird wrote the chapter “Where College Fails Us” in her book The Case Against College where she
In Plato’s Allegory of the Cave the prisoners who remain in the bondage of the cave are content with their meaningless existence and are too stubborn to change their perspective. The prisoner who is freed is content with his new perspective of the world after learning the truth and accepting that his old perspective and view was not true. Sadly, the other prisoners in the cave are too stubborn to accept the truth. As long as they truly believe in their reality and their perspective, then they will be content. It seems people truly “Can’t miss what they never
In "Allegory of the Cave" Plato's describes the journey, which individuals must embark on in order to achieve enlightenment. Plato depicts a comprehensive metaphor that aims to outline the disadvantages we face as a result of a lack of education. When analyzing the ‘Allegory of the Cave’ it's imperative to remember that there are two elements to the story. The first element is the fictional metaphor of the prisoners and the second element is the philosophical view in which the story is supposed to portray, therefore presenting us with the allegory itself.
The educational ideology illustrated in The Allegory of the Cave proposes teaching as a process of conversion which can bring about true enlightenment. The allegory introduces two kinds of bewilderments: one is the ascent from the primitive state to a more sophisticated state; the other the descent from the beatific vision to human affairs. We shall call one lucky if he is experiencing the former one and pity those who belong to the latter one. However whichever