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The Allegory of the Cave

Painting of Plato

Plato

Plato was an Athenian Philosopher during the classical period in Ancient Greece. Little is known about Plato’s early life, but he belonged to an aristocratic family. What was known, was that he was quick with his mind and very modest. It is assumed that Plato received an excellent education from the best teachers available in Athens. ​Born around 424 BC, he was a large part of Ancient, western philosophy​. He was also a devout follower to Socrates. Plato created the Platonist school of thought, and the Academy, which was the first institution of higher learning in the Western World. Plato always stressed the importance of the sciences and math at his “University.” He dedicated his entire life to learning and teaching and is hailed as one of the creators of Western Philosophy. Plato’s most famous work, The Republic, contains the Allegory of the Cave. The main point of the cave is to show the effect of education and the lack of it in nature. Plato, overall, was said to be one of history’s most influential philosophers, with philosophical sub-fields including ethics, cosmetology, and metaphysics.
- Luke Cassidy

Depiction of the Book

The Republic

Plato’s best-known work and one of the world’s most influential works of philosophy.

It was written around 380 BC.

The Republic is a Socratic dialogue, which uses Socrates' dialogues as an advocate for the arguments presented.

Through the Republic, Plato attempts to define justice, the ideal state that could serve as a model for future societies, and various other ideas like the theory of forms.

In Book VII, one of the best-known stories written by Plato can be found, the Allegory of the Cave

                                  The Allegory of the Cave

Summary

The Allegory of the Cave begins with a groups of people who have lived in a deep cave since birth.
They are bound and forced to stare straight ahead, only able to see shadows cast by a fire behind them.
A prisoner is freed from his bonds and forced to go through the painful experience of experiencing the outside world, the sun, and seeing objects as they are rather than their shadows.
After experiencing the outside world and seeing the sun for the first time, the prisoner returns to the cave and attempts to bring his friends out of the cave but is met with violent reactions

- Cody Maness

Philosophy 

Plato has very strict views on how we should acquire knowledge which is made very clear in the allegory of the cave. He Believes that we must think beyond what we see to truly know what is real. In the Allegory, several prisoners are bound facing a wall. They see shadows pass by and take the shadows as the real objects. This is unacceptable to Plato, he who questions everything, but the prisoners are content in their unknowing situation. He represents them as being so enthralled that when an escapee tries to rescue them, they turn against him and lash out. This story relates to Plato’s philosophy in that what we see is not necessarily the truth, and that philosophers must educate the people on the “reality” of things, even if they resist. 

- Connor Mixon

Quiz Questions

• What Greek city-state was Plato a part of?
• Plato was a follower of who?
• What does the prisoner leaving the cave represent?
• The Allegory of the Cave is found in what book?

Discussion Questions

•  Would the prisoners technically be correct when saying what they saw, or is it still just a shadow?
• Do you empathize with the prisoners of the cave and their desire to stay inside?  Was there ever a time you were fearful to learn something new?
• What is your ideal definition of justice?
• Was there a time where you saw an untrue version of the world?