Rand's Notion Of The Sense Of Life Analysis

Plato's Republic addresses Rand's notion of the "sense of life" . Primarily, we need to address what exactly Rand's notion of the "sense of life" is. As described by William R. Thomas's essay titled "Why Foes Anyone Need a Philosophy", the notion "...reflects the fundamental ways you relate to the world and other people; it is your intuitive feeling of how things are and how they ought to be" (Thomas, p 2). According to Thomas, this is how "we experience...philosophical convictions" (Thomas, p 2). Based off the aforementioned information, one can begin to connect the dots between the two pieces of literature. Both detail the three foundamental concepts of philosophy: metaphysics, epistemology, and ethics.

In the Republic, Plato describes
In other words, Farmers are farmers because that is what they are best at doing. Farmers shouldn't be warriors because they are not "naturally suited" to that particular role in society. People often have a wide variety of characteristics. In this way, their "sense of life" or how they "relate to the world and other people" (Thomas, par 5) is rooted in their profession which reflects their qualities as a person. Plato, in Book Three, page 143' Plato describes the ideal guardian/warrior. This man is "acutely perceptive, quick on their feet, and strong as well...brave, of course...passionate temperament...they should really behave with civilized gentleness towards their friends and neighbors and with ferocity towards their enemies," (Plato, p 143). These qualities make a person best suited to be a guardian and give them a role in life. Their sense of life is shaped within their role in
Metaphysics is discussed in Plato's Republic in Book 9 within the Allegory of the Cave. Beginning on page 173, line 514A, Plato describes the "human condition" as "people living in a cavernous cell down under the ground...legs and necks tied up...not to turn their heads...there's a firelight..." (Plato, p 173). He continues the allegory, stating that these people can only see the shadows on the wall in front of them. When these people see the shadows, they are only experiencing "the visible realm" (Plato, p 175) and " the shadows of artifacts would constitute the sole reality they are aware of. Plato continues, "imagine that one of them has been set free...to turn his head...and to look towards the firelight...he is now closer to reality..." (Plato, p The Allegory of he Cave ends with the person being shoved out of the cave and into the sunlight which represents the "Episteme" or "genuine knowledge". The man is now able to include the intelligible realm in his reality and his sense of life is forever altered. He is free from the simple physical world and able to look above the line into the world of understanding and goodness. Once freedom is achieved and the light is seen, man can work towards recognizing The Good, which is the highest object of