Explain Platos teachings about reality through the analogy of the cave
Explain Plato’s teaching about Reality through his analogy of the cave
Plato’s ‘analogy of the cave’ appears in his most noted work The Republic. The analogy (a story with a metaphorical meaning) has the purpose of detailing Plato’s theory about reality, and the difference between the constantly changing physical realm, and the absolute, eternal and unchanging realm of forms. Plato aimed to show that the physical realm was not as ‘real’ as the world of forms, and that true knowledge could only be gained through reasoned thought about the realm of forms. He believed the cave analogy reflected this.
Plato presents a dialogue between two people, Socrates and a man named Glaucon. Socrates tells of a number of prisoners that are chained in a cave so that they cannot move their heads. They have been in this position since birth and so know no different. There is a fire that burns ‘above them’ but they cannot see it, they can only see the shadow of objects on the wall in front of them (Plato asks us to imagine the wall as a puppet screen). Occasionally people carry objects past the fire, and the shadows are reflected onto the wall for the prisoners to see. The prisoner’s play a game, in which they try to predict the movements of the shadows, and attribute names to the objects from the sounds made by those who walk past. Having known nothing else, they believe the shadows are ‘real’ and that the cave is their true reality.
The cave therefore represents the physical realm, and the prisoners the unenlightened people who are yet to discover philosophical thought, and that believe the illusion created by our five senses. Plato believed that the physical realm was not real it simply represents the Form of an object or concept that exists in the spiritual realm. As the prisoners are conned into believing that shadows are real, Plato is suggesting that people must engage in Philosophical thought so that they may become enlightened. Plato was also a dualist; he believed
Plato’s ‘analogy of the cave’ appears in his most noted work The Republic. The analogy (a story with a metaphorical meaning) has the purpose of detailing Plato’s theory about reality, and the difference between the constantly changing physical realm, and the absolute, eternal and unchanging realm of forms. Plato aimed to show that the physical realm was not as ‘real’ as the world of forms, and that true knowledge could only be gained through reasoned thought about the realm of forms. He believed the cave analogy reflected this.
Plato presents a dialogue between two people, Socrates and a man named Glaucon. Socrates tells of a number of prisoners that are chained in a cave so that they cannot move their heads. They have been in this position since birth and so know no different. There is a fire that burns ‘above them’ but they cannot see it, they can only see the shadow of objects on the wall in front of them (Plato asks us to imagine the wall as a puppet screen). Occasionally people carry objects past the fire, and the shadows are reflected onto the wall for the prisoners to see. The prisoner’s play a game, in which they try to predict the movements of the shadows, and attribute names to the objects from the sounds made by those who walk past. Having known nothing else, they believe the shadows are ‘real’ and that the cave is their true reality.
The cave therefore represents the physical realm, and the prisoners the unenlightened people who are yet to discover philosophical thought, and that believe the illusion created by our five senses. Plato believed that the physical realm was not real it simply represents the Form of an object or concept that exists in the spiritual realm. As the prisoners are conned into believing that shadows are real, Plato is suggesting that people must engage in Philosophical thought so that they may become enlightened. Plato was also a dualist; he believed