The Analogy Of The Cave Flashcards
Plato presents us with dialogue where Socrates asks ? to imagine a scene set in an underground cave. There are chained ? facing in one direction, unable to move their heads and with their backs to the wall, having no memory of living in different ways. The only light available is coming from a fire behind. All they can see is the light that the fire produces. ? asks us to think of it as a lower edge of a puppet theatre.
Glaucon.
Prisoners.
Plato.
In “?”, Plato illustrates aspects of his philosophy by giving an analogy.
Republic.
When Plato gives the Cave analogy, he wants us to understand:
- Relation between the physical world and higher world of the Forms.
- Ways in which physical concerns can metaphorically blind people.
- The ignorance of humanity when people don’t engage with philosophy.
- Potential for true knowledge that philosophy brings.
- There’s another world we can’t see which we can reach.
- Initial difficulties of grappling with philosophy.
- Hostility that people feel when faced with philosophical ideas.
- Injustice of the death of Socrates.
- That education is a “leading-out”.
In the ?, people go along the low wall, carrying a variety of different objects as they pass the ? with shadows casting the wall. All the Prisoners are able to see is ? of these different objects and of each other. They see only a two-dimension ? and not solid objects.
Cave.
Fire.
Shadows.
Shadow.
In Plato’s analogy, he produces a scenario in which the characters are as far removed from ? as can possibly imagine. As far as they realise, this is the truth.
Reality.
Plato asks us to imagine what will happen if the prisoners are released. He wants us to understand that when we begin to question the world around us it’s a painful ?
Experience.
When asked to leave, the prisoner has been comfortable with his life of ? and experience already tells him that changing his ideas is a painful challenge.
Ignorance.
As the former Prisoner adjusts to new life, his ? grows. He realises that the Sun gives structure to his life, enabling him to see. With this metaphor, Plato wants us to understand the Sun as the Form of the ?
Wisdom.
Good.
When the prisoner returns, his inmates feel hostile towards the suggestion that they would be prepared to kill him if he tried to lead them out. ? knew that people didn’t like to have their assumptions, prejudices and superstitions called into question. In Plato’s view, Socrates was willing to take this risk, because, for him, the human search for ? was more important than life itself.
Socrates.
Truth.
Knowing what ? allows us to know what Justice, Truth or Patience is.
Goodness.
The released prisoner represents Socrates as well as all those who undertake ? whilst those in the ? represent people who prefer to live an “unexamined life”.
Philosophy.
Cave.
