Plato's Republic, Book VII - The Allegory of the Cave - Essay Example

Plato’s Republic, Book VII -- The Allegory of the Cave (a) Briefly summarize the parable and two or three of the key turning points in the story as you understand it.  In his metaphysical approach of distinguishing reality from illusion, Plato argued that reality is essentially based on forms or ideas that remain constant for ages, so that beyond this the realm of illusions account for objects that are perceived without form and tend to vary like opinions do. Through the ‘allegory of the cave’, Plato used the prisoner enslaved in the cave since childhood and the shadow cast on the wall by fire as the caveman’s idea of ‘real’ yet representing illusion. Then as he is led gradually to light, he gains knowledge and becomes able to concretize real objects which begin to form under the growing intensity of light upon his ascension out of the cave where he would find himself nullifying all of the old illusory beliefs. The allegory, on one hand, presents the belief of Plato that in obtaining knowledge of the real world one should be careful not to rely upon sense perceptions, rather through intellectual judgment which takes learning in gradual process. Another key point of the story is the principle it conveys about seeking a path of one’s own toward education instead of merely imitating a master or a teacher as one attempts to copy the latter’s approach. For Plato, education pays regard to leading an individual to strive to find means in becoming educated and not for a teacher to show students what the answers are readily. (b) What is the main point (the lesson to be learned) Socrates attempts to communicate by using this illustration? Since the cave represents the world in which we initially live, with the condition of gloom symbolic of human ignorance, as prisoners of ignorant thought or apprehension, we ought to settle such predicament by moving from the state of darkness where only illusions can be made into that of light in order to acquire a clear view of things. Here, Socrates attempts to communicate the essence of education in the significance of correcting the way things are seen where one engages not only with viewing matters of the physical world accurately but also with the point of gaining access to the ‘forms of ideas’ that are independent of the visible world. Cave dwellers are representative of us people who need to climb our way out of the cave in search of light and the quest is conducted on a gradual basis for any event of proper learning is similar to a meticulous quest which cannot be hurried. This brings stages and identity to a cave dweller who is a metaphor of a person who could reserve the option to stay, leave, and return to the cave. (c) Based on your answer in part “b”, what does Socrates expect you to do as a result of hearing this story? Be sure you defend your interpretation of the allegory of the Cave. Use examples from the text as needed and provide good reasons to support your interpretation. While Socrates illustrates how indispensable education is in living and what entails systematic acquisition of knowledge which so often is tedious and complex, depending upon the influences that surround a person and his comprehension of them, the philosopher in dialogue expects for the audience to respond by taking concrete action. Having been able to come out of the cave of ignorance, one certainly becomes acquainted to the reality as experienced in the actual so that any prior knowledge is translated with exactness. After this is appropriately carried out, I suppose that Socrates expects the educated individual like me to be accountable for others who are still in the dark and convince them to see the light. In particular application to my life, struggling to get along with a group of people for instance likewise embodies my way out of the cave of illusions wherein while I justify my righteousness over certain matters of dispute, I am blind to the truth about the goodness in others, judging them by my perceptions. So by allowing myself to understand the group on a more personal level, I then acquire a sense of enlightenment on seeing reality through the logic of their actions coming from different backgrounds. Consequently, Socrates is a philosopher whose teaching directs his followers to initiate action after learning because learning does not confine itself in the mental or psychological faculties. Those who leave the cave are expected to return so that whatever they have continued to attain from the outside in full comprehension of concrete and abstract objects alike may be shared to the cave dwellers who have yet to see the ‘real’ apart from ‘illusions’. Each learner, therefore, is responsible not only for his personal growth but also for the development of capacities of his fellow human beings. (d) How does an introductory philosophy course like the one you are part of promote or enhance what Socrates advocates in the allegory of the Cave? Explain your answer.  Through an introductory philosophy course, the students manage to draw opportunity to be able to study critically with creative thoughts which philosophy instructors facilitate in the process. Since philosophy deals with pursuit of wisdom by means of moral self-discipline along with activities of logic and system of analyses, the demonstration made by Socrates via the allegory of the Cave may be adequately justified. In analogy, the search for truth and enlightenment presented in the allegory is relative to the course of knowing the physical world, its meaning and connection to humanity through philosophy. We all know that the objective of philosophy is to acquire the most rational understanding of things in and around us. The subject seeks to develop in each learner the ability to explore with reasons and physical evidences and not just depend on senses in proving whether or not something exists. Philosophy and its proponents strive to establish concepts of things on solid grounds for everyone to be covered and see under a common light of crystal clear truth in all coherence and scrupulous validities. Hence, in a way, philosophizing or the process of yielding to the ends of philosophical studies is quite comparable to passing from the dark region of the cave up to the exit where complete sunlight or enlightening ray of understanding appears. Read More