Plato’s logical strategy in the allegory of the cave is of deductive reasoning. Plato uses a cave containing people bound by chains which constrict their neck and legs in such a way that they are unable to turn around and there is a fire roaring behind them casting shadows on the wall. Since the prisoners cannot turn their heads to see what is casting the shadow the only thing they can perceive are the shadows and the sounds that seem to becoming from them. This is what Plato argues in the allegory of the cave “To them, I said, the truth would literally be nothing but the shadows of the images.”(The Allegory of the Cave Plato). Since these prisoners know nothing outside of the cave they are ignorant of the “light” and are content on seeing the shadows before them. Plato describes what it would be like for a prisoner to be released and forced to go out of the cave into the light Plato describes it as being “blinding”. Once the freed prisoner became accustomed to the light outside the cave it is believed by Socrates and Glaucon, inside Plato’s allegory that the prisoner would not want to return to the darkness from which he had “ascended”. Once the prisoner has become accustomed to the light Socrates said “I mean that they remain in the upper world: but this must not be allowed, they must be made to descend again among the prisoners in the den, and partake of their labors and honors, whether they are worth having or not”. (The Allegory of the Cave Plato) This is where Plato begins to start on the topic of leadership. Although Plato uses some cause and effect elements in his allegory, such as “Where as if they go to the administration of public affairs, poor and hungering after their own private advantage, thinking that henc...
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...en they in turn can educate others. By educating the others they are acting as leaders and most likely will be selected to lead their state with these virtues and philosophy.
Conclusion, Plato’s deductive reasoning and strong analogies such as how an ignorant individual is like that of a chained individual in the likes that they know only of their own perceived reality is what makes Plato’s allegory persuasive and quite rhetorical. Plato’s argument about what qualities are needed to be a leader and lead a state is quite lucid. Overall his reasoning and argument concurrently go together in expressing his conclusion that in order for a society to be truly “rich” is to have “virtue” and “wisdom”. This is why Plato’s deductive reasoning is found to be sound and persuasive in his rhetorical allegory.
Works Cited
"The Allegory of The Cave" Plato Paragraphs 1-10
Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave” explains his beliefs on education of one’s soul and the core of the way they shape themselves. The rhetorical devices that Plato represents inside of his story explains how much freedom is worth in this world. The deeper meaning inside of what Plato describes can further be found out once a reader realizes the type of rhetorical devices are being used. For example, Plato portrays prisoners being locked inside of a cave without a way out. These prisoners never got to see the outside world, yet he mentions they “see shadows” which explains they are only able to catch a glimpse of reality from the outside. Plato’s use of imagery gives us a mental picture on the tease we may feel to notice reality but not be able to experience it. In reality, we do not value freedom as much as we are supposed to. We seem to not see the world as he sees it. With the help of personification, Plato uses human like characteristics to describe non-living things to give
In conclusion, the relevance of the “Allegory of the Cave” lies in the fact that its culmination continues to reoccur throughout history. Socrates, Galileo, and Martin Luther King Jr. are examples of important historical figures that have been condemned for their ability to make the journey out of the cave and return to deliver their community from the bonds that limit human growth. I believe the most important lessons to be found in Plato’s allegory are that we must learn to look beyond our immediate reality and that our actions should be geared toward unifying our communities. Only then will we arrive at the ultimate goal of living for the greater good.
Only the male citizens of Ancient Greece could have their voices heard. However, Plato disagreed with this concept of democracy, and designed a new way to govern the people in The Republic. Plato believed that one philosopher should have had absolute power, and he must have been, “…by nature quick to learn and to remember, magnanimous and gracious, the friend and kinsman of truth, justice, courage, temperance…” or he would have been unfit to rule. In Plato’s cave allegory, the ordinary people were represented in the prisoners who were chained in the cave, and the philosopher in the prisoner who was pushed out of the cave and saw the world outside. This single prisoner would then know the truth of reality, while the others maintained the belief that reality only consisted of the cave. From this allegory, it was understood that philosophers had a responsibility to lead the average citizens as only they could comprehend reality as it is. However, in order for the philosopher to guide the people, he would have had to take power from the people. The people would not participate in political matters and education would have been regulated. In Plato’s ideal society, the ordinary people had absolutely no power in their lives or their government. This model civilization was never accepted, and democracy continued in Ancient
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.
What is truly real, and what is not? This question is one which has been pondered deeply throughout human history, and it seemingly has no definitive answer. To understand what is truly a part of reality, and what isn’t, may be an impossible feat. However, two famous works created by humans from two distant time periods attempt to dissect and analyze this philosophical question. The first, The Allegory of the Cave, was written by the great Greek philosopher, Plato, who was born in 428 B.C. in Athens, Greece. The Allegory of the Cave is a piece of a larger work of Plato’s, The Republic, which is a collection of works concerning political philosophy. The Republic is his most famous work and what he is best known for in today’s world. The second
Freedom in mind, freedom in nature, and freedom in subjectivity of individual are three kinds of freedoms. However, freedom should be expressed within the limits of reason and morality. Having freedom equals having the power to think, to speak, and to act without externally imposed restrains. As a matter of fact, finding freedom in order to live free is the common idea in Plato with "The Allegory of the Cave"; Henry David Thoreau with " Where I lived and What I lived for"; and Jean Paul Sartre with " Existentialism". Generally, Plato, Thoreau, and Sartre suggested that human life should be free. They differ in what that freedom is. Plato thinks it is found in the world of intellect, Thoreau thinks freedom is found in nature, and Sartre thinks freedom is found in subjectivity of individual.
The "Allegory of the cave "is broken down into four levels. The cave itself representing the tunnel we as humans have dug for ourselves away from the world of learning and knowledge to a world of safe answers where nothing is ever questioned . The cave represents the human's subconscious struggle to be safe and hide from the unknown. Beginning with Level one . The shadow watchers(the mystified )Illusion the figures and shadows reflection on the cave wall.This level is best described as such because the prisoners are not seeing what is real .They are seeing a copy or illusion of what is the real.They are seeing what they want to see.Level two The shadow casters .I believe the shadow casters area people who realize that the world is not as it
... middle of paper ... ... By examining Plato’s use of themes as well as a modern-day comparison to the allegory, one can best grasp the concept of knowledge and how the Sun and our senses guide our education. The concept of our knowledge being a result of our surroundings in the world, rather than a text book, is simply fascinating.
In the contemporary world , culture refers to something as vast as the distinctive way of life of an entire community. Culture is everywhere and everyone has it; it is the mass of ideas, traditions, habits, stories, beliefs, and perspectives on life passed on to us from generation to generation through literature, language, art, myth, religion, family, and various other social institutions. Plato had many different ideas when it comes to human behavior and philosophy. Some of those things can be applied to today’s society, some of them can’t. Plato’s Allegory of the Cave, which is probably his most famous theory, as well as Krishnamurti’s essay on cultural conditioning of a mind, they both focus on cultural values and living within a culture and can still be seen in today’s society.
In the essay “The Allegory of the Cave,” Plato addresses how humans generally do not pursue knowledge. Most humans are satisfied with what they already know and do not want to expand their knowledge. Plato uses simple examples to help the reader understand his logic on why humans do not expand their knowledge.
Do we really understand the world we live in and see everyday? Is our everyday perception of reality a misinterpretation, which somehow we can’t break free from? A famous Greek philosopher by the name of Plato sought out to explain this in an experiment he called the Cave Allegory. I will discuss what the Cave Allegory is as well as talk about the movie Interstellar, which is a great example of Plato’s Cave Allegory and how it relates to Plato’s ideas. The question we have to answer first is, what is Plato’s Cave Allegory?
The Allegory of the Cave is a metaphor found in Book XII of The Republic written by the Greek philosopher, Plato. It is a dialogue between Plato and a man named Glaucon that discusses several different theories about human nature and the idea of enlightenment. Many people question whether or not the theories mentioned in Book XII apply to the government of the United States as it is today. It is evident after reading Book XII of Plato’s Republic that the answer is yes; his theories remain relevant, even in the world of today.
In "The Allegory of the Cave," prisoners in a cave are forced to watch shadows as people behind them are forced to accept these shadows as reality -- "To them... the truth would be literally nothing but the shadows of the images. One prisoner, however, is released, and stumbles into the real world, containing more depth and complexity than they had ever known. At first, the prisoner will be pained at the bright, piercing light, but will eventually recover. According to Plato, the freed prisoner is then obligated to return to the shadows of the cave, to inform the shackled prisoners left behind of the real world. The prisoners, however, will not believe the freed prisoner, and may even go as afra s to kill him for such "lies" contrary to their "reality." The pursuit of the truth is, therefor, a painstaking but rewarding process. According to Plato, the physical world is a world of sight, one that lacks meaning if left alone. Only those who manage to break into the sunlight from the cave will ascend to the intellectual world. The prisoners in the shadows only know of the dull physical world, while those who ascend into the sunlight learn of the spiritual world, and are exposed to the first hints of truth. The soul ascends upward into the realm of goodness and of the truth, where "... souls are ever hastening into the upper world where they desire to dwell.." The pursuit of goodness and of the truth, then, improves the soul, as the soul desires to be elevated to a higher state of knowledge and morality. Caring for the self and the soul involves freeing the shackles of the physical world and ascending to the "... world of knowledge... the universal author of all things beautiful and right... and the immediate source of reason and truth in the intellectual..." The soul yearns to dwell in a world of morality and knowledge, and only the pursuit of
Plato's "Allegory of the Cave" presents a vision of humans as slaves chained in front of a fire observing the shadows of things on the cave wall in front of them. The shadows are the only "reality" the slaves know. Plato argues that there is a basic flaw in how we humans mistake our limited perceptions as reality, truth and goodness. The allegory reveals how that flaw affects our education, our spirituality and our politics.
...n them it is their ability to suppress the negative parts of the soul that measures superiority. The producing class is unable to move past the appetitive part of the soul making them too interested fulfilling personal wants to rule in the interest of the good. The auxleres are stuck in the spirited part, able to see the truth outside of the cave but unwilling to leave the comfortable environment of the cave. They crave easy honor and are not suited to rule a just city as honor so often gets in the way. The guardians will be trained to be philosopher kings; they are able to suppress the desires of the lower parts of the soul to achieve rationality and reason. Philosophers have a natural lust towards truth and knowledge and are unchanged by personal desires. Since rationality is equated with justice philosophers are the obvious choice to preside over the just state.