It is an allegory , a short story that tells you about how our brain understand things ,examine them and how it is fooled.
in this slide the present conditions of political India has been compared to the allegory for better understanding. this slide will help you understand the political tactics. in the same way advertisers make us fool and sell their products.
It is an allegory , a short story that tells you about how our brain understand things ,examine them and how it is fooled.
in this slide the present conditions of political India has been compared to the allegory for better understanding. this slide will help you understand the political tactics. in the same way advertisers make us fool and sell their products.
Historians usually dismiss Xenophon’s Socratic dialogues out of hand, and rarely will Xenophon’s Socrates even be mentioned in Greek philosophy courses. There is no doubt that Plato was a far better writer than Xenophon, but the writings of Xenophon were highly treasured in both the ancient world and in the Renaissance.
Although it is true that the Greek Philosopher Zeno, who studied under Crates, the last Greek Cynic Philosopher, is seen by both ancient and modern scholars as the founder of Stoicism, in a large sense the stoic emphasis of moral philosophy was always present in Greek philosophy, starting with Homer and Hesiod.
We will discuss:
• How the Stoic Socrates of Xenophon was fond of moral maxims.
• How Xenophon’s account of the trial and execution of Socrates differed from Plato’s account.
• How Xenophon’s description of Hercules’ encounter with Lady Virtue and Lady Vice was treasured by St Justin Martyr, and early Church Father, and by many others in the ancient world and in the Renaissance, and was a favored topic of many painters.
• How Xenophon’s Socrates’ attitudes towards the gods were similar to the implicit monotheism of the Stoics.
• Xenophon and Socrates’ story of the two quarreling brothers.
YouTube video: https://youtu.be/LWfoHhtNY8I
Please support our channel by purchasing the books we discuss from Amazon, we receive a small associate’s commission:
Conversations of Socrates, by Xenophon, Robin H. Waterfield and, Hugh Tredennick, Translators, Penguin Books
https://amzn.to/3vjVrFe
The Allegory of the CaveAt the beginning of Book VII of Plato’s .docxtodd801
The Allegory of the Cave
At the beginning of Book VII of Plato’s Republic, Socrates famously invokes an image of human nature with respect to education and the lack of it, likening our situation to that of prisoners in a cave. Imagine an underground cave-like dwelling, its entrance entirely out of sight. Inhabiting this cave are human beings whose feet and necks are chained so that they can neither get up nor turn their heads; they can only see straight ahead. Above and behind them burns a fire, and between them and the fire there is a raised path and a low wall, like the screen above which performers display their puppets. Behind this wall men pass to and fro carrying statues and figures of human beings, animals, and other objects in such a manner that the artifacts appear over the top of the screen, projecting onto the wall opposite the fire. The prisoners, unable to see neither the objects carried behind them nor one another, behold only the shadows of themselves and of the statues cast onto the wall in front of them.
The prisoners represent the vast majority of the human race: “they’re like us.” They live in a world in which images are mistaken for realities. What is a shadow, after all, but a mere image of something real (in this case a statue, which is itself an image of something even more real, namely a living human being or animal)? Moreover, the prisoners have not the faintest clue that throughout their entire lives they have been exposed to nothing but distortions of the truth—they are, in other words, unaware of their ignorance (just like Euthyphro, the fanatical young priest about whom you will read in the next chapter). The shadows represent the authoritative opinions that govern the hearts and minds of whole communities, and give a transcendent purpose and meaning to our particular existence.[1] These shadows are to be contrasted with the light of truth illuminating the world beyond the cave (but which also makes the shadows visible within it). The people carrying the statues are the lawgivers and poets who establish the cultural values and cosmic worldview that characterize and define a given society. In his excellent commentary on Plato’s Republic, Professor Allan Bloom explains: “We do not see men as they are but as they are represented to us by legislators and poets. A Greek sees things differently from the way a Persian sees them. One need only think of…the significance of cows to Hindus as opposed to other men to realize how powerful are the various horizons constituted by law or convention.”[2] These authoritative opinions are not accurate reflections of nature, but rather a curious amalgam of natureandconvention. To quote once again from Professor Bloom: “The first and most difficult of tasks is the separation of what exists by nature from what is merely made by man.”[3]
This, precisely, is the business of philosophy, which literally means “the love of wisdom,” coming from the ancient Greek words philein, meaning “to .
Historians usually dismiss Xenophon’s Socratic dialogues out of hand, and rarely will Xenophon’s Socrates even be mentioned in Greek philosophy courses. There is no doubt that Plato was a far better writer than Xenophon, but the writings of Xenophon were highly treasured in both the ancient world and in the Renaissance.
Although it is true that the Greek Philosopher Zeno, who studied under Crates, the last Greek Cynic Philosopher, is seen by both ancient and modern scholars as the founder of Stoicism, in a large sense the stoic emphasis of moral philosophy was always present in Greek philosophy, starting with Homer and Hesiod.
We will discuss:
• How the Stoic Socrates of Xenophon was fond of moral maxims.
• How Xenophon’s account of the trial and execution of Socrates differed from Plato’s account.
• How Xenophon’s description of Hercules’ encounter with Lady Virtue and Lady Vice was treasured by St Justin Martyr, and early Church Father, and by many others in the ancient world and in the Renaissance, and was a favored topic of many painters.
• How Xenophon’s Socrates’ attitudes towards the gods were similar to the implicit monotheism of the Stoics.
• Xenophon and Socrates’ story of the two quarreling brothers.
YouTube video: https://youtu.be/LWfoHhtNY8I
Please support our channel by purchasing the books we discuss from Amazon, we receive a small associate’s commission:
Conversations of Socrates, by Xenophon, Robin H. Waterfield and, Hugh Tredennick, Translators, Penguin Books
https://amzn.to/3vjVrFe
The Allegory of the CaveAt the beginning of Book VII of Plato’s .docxtodd801
The Allegory of the Cave
At the beginning of Book VII of Plato’s Republic, Socrates famously invokes an image of human nature with respect to education and the lack of it, likening our situation to that of prisoners in a cave. Imagine an underground cave-like dwelling, its entrance entirely out of sight. Inhabiting this cave are human beings whose feet and necks are chained so that they can neither get up nor turn their heads; they can only see straight ahead. Above and behind them burns a fire, and between them and the fire there is a raised path and a low wall, like the screen above which performers display their puppets. Behind this wall men pass to and fro carrying statues and figures of human beings, animals, and other objects in such a manner that the artifacts appear over the top of the screen, projecting onto the wall opposite the fire. The prisoners, unable to see neither the objects carried behind them nor one another, behold only the shadows of themselves and of the statues cast onto the wall in front of them.
The prisoners represent the vast majority of the human race: “they’re like us.” They live in a world in which images are mistaken for realities. What is a shadow, after all, but a mere image of something real (in this case a statue, which is itself an image of something even more real, namely a living human being or animal)? Moreover, the prisoners have not the faintest clue that throughout their entire lives they have been exposed to nothing but distortions of the truth—they are, in other words, unaware of their ignorance (just like Euthyphro, the fanatical young priest about whom you will read in the next chapter). The shadows represent the authoritative opinions that govern the hearts and minds of whole communities, and give a transcendent purpose and meaning to our particular existence.[1] These shadows are to be contrasted with the light of truth illuminating the world beyond the cave (but which also makes the shadows visible within it). The people carrying the statues are the lawgivers and poets who establish the cultural values and cosmic worldview that characterize and define a given society. In his excellent commentary on Plato’s Republic, Professor Allan Bloom explains: “We do not see men as they are but as they are represented to us by legislators and poets. A Greek sees things differently from the way a Persian sees them. One need only think of…the significance of cows to Hindus as opposed to other men to realize how powerful are the various horizons constituted by law or convention.”[2] These authoritative opinions are not accurate reflections of nature, but rather a curious amalgam of natureandconvention. To quote once again from Professor Bloom: “The first and most difficult of tasks is the separation of what exists by nature from what is merely made by man.”[3]
This, precisely, is the business of philosophy, which literally means “the love of wisdom,” coming from the ancient Greek words philein, meaning “to .
Chapter 1The Allegory of the CaveAt the beginning of Book VII .docxwalterl4
Chapter 1
The Allegory of the Cave
At the beginning of Book VII of Plato’s Republic, Socrates famously invokes an image of human nature with respect to education and the lack of it, likening our situation to that of prisoners in a cave. Imagine an underground cave-like dwelling, its entrance entirely out of sight. Inhabiting this cave are human beings whose feet and necks are chained so that they can neither get up nor turn their heads; they can only see straight ahead. Above and behind them burns a fire, and between them and the fire there is a raised path and a low wall, like the screen above which performers display their puppets. Behind this wall men pass to and fro carrying statues and figures of human beings, animals, and other objects in such a manner that the artifacts appear over the top of the screen, projecting onto the wall opposite the fire. The prisoners, unable to see neither the objects carried behind them nor one another, behold only the shadows of themselves and of the statues cast onto the wall in front of them.
The prisoners represent the vast majority of the human race: “they’re like us.” They live in a world in which images are mistaken for realities. What is a shadow, after all, but a mere image of something real (in this case a statue, which is itself an image of something even more real, namely a living human being or animal)? Moreover, the prisoners have not the faintest clue that throughout their entire lives they have been exposed to nothing but distortions of the truth—they are, in other words, unaware of their ignorance (just like Euthyphro, the fanatical young priest about whom you will read in the next chapter). The shadows represent the authoritative opinions that govern the hearts and minds of whole communities, and give a transcendent purpose and meaning to our particular existence.[1] These shadows are to be contrasted with the light of truth illuminating the world beyond the cave (but which also makes the shadows visible within it). The people carrying the statues are the lawgivers and poets who establish the cultural values and cosmic worldview that characterize and define a given society. In his excellent commentary on Plato’s Republic, Professor Allan Bloom explains: “We do not see men as they are but as they are represented to us by legislators and poets. A Greek sees things differently from the way a Persian sees them. One need only think of…the significance of cows to Hindus as opposed to other men to realize how powerful are the various horizons constituted by law or convention.”[2] These authoritative opinions are not accurate reflections of nature, but rather a curious amalgam of natureandconvention. To quote once again from Professor Bloom: “The first and most difficult of tasks is the separation of what exists by nature from what is merely made by man.”[3]
This, precisely, is the business of philosophy, which literally means “the love of wisdom,” coming from the ancient Greek words philein, me.
1.2 PLATO’S ALLEGORY OF THE CAVEWe can follow some of Socrates’ TatianaMajor22
1.2 PLATO’S ALLEGORY OF THE CAVE
We can follow some of Socrates’ themes by exploring the ideas of Plato (c. 428–348 B.C.), Socrates’ most famous disciple. (Further biographical information on Plato can be found in section 3.2.) If we are to search for wisdom and to know how to live our lives, Plato believed, we must have a correct understanding of knowledge and reality. Plato’s view of reality, as well as his view of knowledge and personal enlightenment, is represented in his famous Allegory of the Cave, which has become a classic story in Western literature. In this allegory, Plato suggests the possibility that reality may be entirely different than our taken-for-granted assumptions suppose it to be. In telling this story, Plato uses the figure of his teacher Socrates to present his ideas. As you read the allegory, answer the following questions.
Can you imagine the scene in the cave Socrates describes? Sketch a picture of all the elements in the cave.
Glaucon says the people in the story are “strange prisoners.” Socrates then gives the stunning reply that they are “like ourselves.” Why do you suppose Socrates compares us to these prisoners?
30
This diagram of Plato’s Allegory of the Cave represents chained prisoners whose only reality is the shadow world projected on the wall in front of them. They are unaware that behind them is the higher degree of reality of the fire and the statues that are casting the shadows. Still further up is the steep and rugged passage out of the cave to the upper world. A prisoner who follows this path will encounter the world of real objects and the sun. Plato used this story as a rough analogy to the modes of awareness and levels of reality discussed in his philosophy.
What do the shadows stand for?
What are the “shadows” in our society? In your life?
According to this story, what is enlightenment?
In what sense does the freed prisoner not understand the shadows as well as his friends do when he returns to the cave? In what sense does he understand the shadows better than his friends do?
In what ways are the events in the enlightened prisoner’s life like the events in the historical Socrates’ life?
Summarize what philosophical points you think Plato is making in this allegory.
31
FROM PLATO
Republic10
SOCRATES: And now, let me show in a parable how far our nature is enlightened or unenlightened. Imagine human beings living in an underground den, which has a mouth open towards the light. Here they have been from their childhood, and have their legs and necks chained so that they can not move, and can only see before them, being prevented by the chains from turning their heads around. Above and behind them a fire is blazing at a distance, and between the fire and the prisoners there is a raised walk; and you will see, if you look, a low wall built along the walkway, like the screen which marionette players have in front of them, over which they show the puppets.
GLAUCON: I see.
SOCRATES: And do yo ...
Ancient Greek influences on philosophy of religion - AS OCR Philosophy of Rel...wizwardealdam
Plato: the Analogy of the Cave
The Republic VII. 514A–521B
Candidates should be able to demonstrate
knowledge and understanding of what might be
represented in the Analogy of the Cave by the
following:
• the prisoners, the shadows, the cave itself, the
outside world, the sun, the journey out of the
cave and the return to the prisoners.
Candidates should be able to discuss critically
the validity of the points being made in this
analogy.
Plato: the concept of the Forms;
the Form of the Good
Candidates should understand what Plato meant
by ‘Forms’ and be able to demonstrate
knowledge and understanding of:
• the relation between concepts and
phenomena;
• the concept of ‘Ideals’;
• the relation between the Form of the Good
and the other Forms.
Candidates should be able to discuss critically
the validity of the above points.
Aristotle: ideas about cause and purpose in
relation to God
Metaphysics Book 12
Candidates should be able to demonstrate
knowledge and understanding of:
• Aristotle’s understanding of material, efficient,
formal and final cause;
• Aristotle’s concept of the Prime Mover.
Candidates should be able to discuss critically
the validity of the above points.
2. Introduction
Plato's Allegory of the Cave is not the rosiest take on the
reality of human existence. It envisions the world as a
dark cave, human beings as trapped prisoners, and all of
our experiences as nothing but shadows on a wall.
According to Plato's allegory of the cave, the way we
perceive things around us and the way we lead our lives,
is actually not the "truth". We human beings are leading
ignorant, incomplete lives, following the paths, rules,
norms, ethics, set by the previous generations, without
questioning them.
4. Question?
Why was the Plato's allegory of the cave written??
The son of a wealthy and noble family, Plato (427-347
B.C.) was preparing for a career in politics when the trial
and eventual execution of Socrates (399 B.C.) changed the
course of his life. He abandoned his political career and
turned to philosophy, opening a school on the outskirts of
Athens dedicated to the Socratic search for wisdom. The
Allegory presents, in brief form, most of Plato's major
philosophical assumptions: his belief that the world
revealed by our senses is not the real world but only a
poor copy of it, and that the real world can only be
apprehended intellectually.
5. Connection/Themes
There are several themes represented in the allegory
of the cave, one of the first themes you come across
while reading the Allegory of the Cave is ignorance.
The chains binding them to the cave could merely be
interpreted as a metaphor for ignorance, as if they
wanted to fulfil enlightenment, all they would have
to do is ask questions and seek the truth
6. Life/Academic
Experience
Plato makes a good point we often do lead incomplete lives
following rules, the norms, etc. Sometimes we get so boxed in
doing the same thing over and over again not only do we age
ourselves beyond our years but we miss out on the pleasures
and joys of life. Life is meant to be lived, to be creative and
think outside the box.
The prisoners in the cave have innate conceptions of the forms
(according to Plato) so they understand what the shadows on
the wall are as they use their natural inclination however the
guards misguide there understanding of the world and the
shadows as they see it in an imperfect light in its material form,
due to ignorance they believe the shadows on the wall are
reality and they attach exterior noises to what they see on the
dark cave wa
7.
“My opinion is that in the world of knowledge the idea
of good appears last of all and is seen only with an
effort, and when seen, is also inferred to be the
universal author of al things beautiful and right,
parent of light and of the lord of light in this visible
world.”
People are born blind and do not have the capacity to see.
Those with free will have sight, but can abandon it by shutting
their eyes.
8. Conclusion
Open your eyes to the world around you. Get in the
habit of seeing in the dark. When you have acquired
the habit, you will see ten thousand times better than
the inhabitants of the den. You will see truth and
beauty.
9. Works Cited
http://www.shmoop.com/the-republic/cave-allegory.
html
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/allegory-of-the-cave-
summary.html
http://www.historyguide.org/intellect/allegory.ht
ml
http://www.studymode.com/essays/The-Themes-
Adresses-In-The-Allegory-1203301.html
