Plato's allegory of the Cave 3-2-18

allegory- a story, poem, or picture that can contain a hidden meaning, or moral, or political lesson

• life is like being chained up in a cave forced to watch shadows flickering on a stone wall
• found in book 7 of the Republic
• he didn't think democracy was the best form of government for Greece
• these chained prisoners since birth, the fire behind them gives off a faint light
• identify shadows with names
• one prisoner freed outside, sunlight hurts his eyes. he is overwhelmed
• the shadow appears clearer to him than the real objects at first
• having a hard time processing it all
• the sun's light is the ultimate source of everything he has seen
• prisoners resist friend of the light, they dont want to be freed
• they say he is stupid and blind
• people are hostile to anyone who points out their ignorance
• they are not comfortable not knowing everything about everything
• people are hostile to anyone who tells them somethingthing they dont already know
• they dont want to learn about everything
• Plato's POV= No to Athenian Democracy; yes to philosopher kings
• no democracy, you dont deserve a vote because you don't want to learn, you are ignorant
• LIKE A SHADOW ON THE WALL, THINGS IN THE PHYSICAL WORLD ARE FLAWED REFLECTIONS OF IDEAL FORMS
• he says the general population is too stubborn and ignorant to rule themselves in a democracy
• for theologians, the ideal form of knowledge exists in the mind of a creator/God
• abstract descriptions are hard to define(evil, beauty, justice ect.)