...The analogy of the cave is written in Plato’s famous book known as Republic. It is one of the three similes he uses to illustrate his theory of Forms. Plato uses analogy to help describe philosophical difference between physical world and the difference of the world of forms. In short the analogy explains to others about the physical world as nothing but full of illusion. He describes the true reality is to be found in the eternal unchanging world of forms. The analogy begins in the cave. The cave represents the visible world or the world of sense experience, where the shadows seem more real than truth itself. It indirectly represents the human body, which imprisons the soul preventing it from seeking the true knowledge. People are chained up in the cave such a way that all prisoners are facing the wall. They are chained up in a way that they can only look ahead of them at the wall of the cave. The only light in the cave comes from the fire. There is a wall behind the prisoners and fire is located behind the wall. Behind the wall other people are walking up and down carrying statues on their heads. The prisoners observe the shadows that flicker before them. The prisoners believe the shadows are reality as that is all they are able to see. If they hear the people behind the wall they associate the sounds made by individuals with the shadows. They think of the shadows as the true reality. Plato represents our condition as human beings; he describes that our senses chain us and...
Words: 345 - Pages: 2
...Explain Plato’s analogy of the cave. Plato’s cave analogy of the cave it this because it is a simple story that has a metaphorical meaning. Plato uses this analogy to show the link between the physical world and the world of forms. Plato thinks that this analogy helps people to understand why the physical world is all an illusion. Only true reality can be found in the world of forms, in which everything is unchanging. Plato’s analogy is set in a cave, the cave is meant to represent the physical world, from which people only see what Plato describes to be an illusion. The prisoners within the cave know of nothing but what they have seen for all their lives. Behind the prisoners are a low wall and a walkway, in the walkway a fire burns, every now and then people walk past the fire carrying objects that reflect into the cave as shadows. The prisoners see the shadows and think that what they see is reality, like we think about our world now. The sounds made by the people walking past are thought to be from the shadows, what is seen and herd here is thought to be real. The shadows represent the images of the forms, which are all that is seen in the physical world. The prisoners in this case represent the ignorant individuals who need to discover the philosophical truth; they believe that the shadows they see are the real objects because they know of nothing else. Plato relates this to the 5 senses, touch, taste, smell, sound and sight, it is easy for people to believe what...
Words: 1384 - Pages: 6
...Explain Plato’s analogy of the cave ‘The analogy of the cave’ appears in Plato’s Republic. The analogy is concerned with Epistemology which focuses on gaining knowledge through reason- without the senses. This is also called a priori knowledge. Plato was taught by a Greek philosopher called Socrates. Socrates didn’t trust society and he believed that we don’t know the truth and that the truth doesn’t exist in this world, because everything changes here. Plato’s views on society are shown within ‘The Analogy of the Cave’. Plato believed that the perfect world, where we could find truth, was the world of forms. He said that the world we live in now, is full of illusions and is therefore known as the world of appearance. Plato’s theory of forms is built on the beliefs expressed through the analogy of the cave. Socrates was influenced by another Greek philosopher called Heraclitus. Plato created the analogy of the cave to represent how people were living in the world of appearance and not knowing the truth. He also represents the whole society in not being like a philosopher, and not wanting to find the truth. Plato’s analogy of the cave is as follows: There were 3 prisoners in a cave, who had been imprisoned in the cave for a very long time. They were chained up with their backs against the entrance, they were unable to move. The entrance to the cave was blocked by a fire. Behind the fire, there are people walking passed the fire, resulting in shadows projected on the walls...
Words: 658 - Pages: 3
...Explain Plato’s analogy of the cave. (25 marks) The analogy of the cave is written in Plato’s famous book known as Republic. It is one of the three similes he uses to illustrate his theory of Forms. Plato uses analogy to help describe philosophical difference between physical world and the difference of the world of forms. In short the analogy explains to others about the physical world as nothing but full of illusion. He describes the true reality is to be found in the eternal unchanging world of forms. The analogy begins in the cave. The cave represents the visible world or the world of sense experience, where the shadows seem more real than truth itself. It indirectly represents the human body, which imprisons the soul preventing it from seeking the true knowledge. People are chained up in the cave such a way that all prisoners are facing the wall. They are chained up in a way that they can only look ahead of them at the wall of the cave. The only light in the cave comes from the fire. There is a wall behind the prisoners and fire is located behind the wall. Behind the wall other people are walking up and down carrying statues on their heads. The prisoners observe the shadows that flicker before them. The prisoners believe the shadows are reality as that is all they are able to see. If they hear the people behind the wall they associate the sounds made by individuals with the shadows. They think of the shadows as the true reality. Plato represents our condition as human...
Words: 879 - Pages: 4
...The Analogy of the Cave was used by Plato, who was a classic Greek philosopher, in his work of ‘The Republic’ to illustrate “our nature in its education and want of education”. The Analogy of the Cave is a fictional story created by Plato’s teacher ‘Socrates’ and Plato’s brother ‘Glaucon’. The Analogy of the Cave is related to Plato’s theory of the Forms - Plato believed that behind every concept (e.g. beauty) or object (e.g. a flower) in the visible world, there is an unseen reality, which he calls its Form. There is, for example a form of beauty and a form of a flower. The forms may be seen as ideal blueprints for the particular earthly examples of beauty or flowers, and so on, which Plato calls particulars. Plato’s analogy of the cave:- Three prisoners had been chained deep inside a dark cave for their entire lives. They were chained so tightly that all they had ever seen or experienced was the grotesque shadows that were cast on to the wall from a fire that was burning behind them. This was the only reality they had ever known. Then one day, a prisoner was set free. He was blinded at first by the bright sun shine and he was amazed to see a completely new reality of people, animals, and objects casting the shadows in to the cave. He hurried back to the cave to tell the other prisoners the news but to his dismay, the prisoners did not believe his story of the world outside the cave. The shadows were the only reality the prisoners had ever known, and therefore to them,...
Words: 996 - Pages: 4
...Plato Sample Answer Part (a) | | | Philosophy - Plato | Explain Plato's Analogy of the Cave (25 marks).This was written in 30 minutes in timed conditions.In Republic book VII Plato explains his analogy of the cave (an analogy is a simple story that has metaphorical meaning). Plato uses the analogy to help describe his philosophical position on the main difference between the physical world and the World of Forms (WoF). He believes that his analogy could clearly explain to others why the physical or world of sense experience was nothing but an illusion; that true reality must be found in the eternal unchanging World of Forms.Plato's analogy begins in a cave. The cave is meant to represent the physical world or the world of sense experience. A number of prisoners are bound by their necks and legs so that they cannot turn around. They have been this way since birth and know no other life than this. Behind the prisoners are a low wall, a walkway and a fire that burns. From time to time individuals carry objects like marionettes in front of the fire and shadows are cast against the wall in front of them. The prisoners observe the shadows that flicker before them and have developed a game over time. They try to predict the movements of the shadows. They associate the sounds made by the individuals with the shadows as this is all they know. They think of them as true reality.The prisoners in this case represent the ignorant unenlightened individuals yet to discover philosophical...
Words: 952 - Pages: 4
...Ambreen Khan The analogy of the cave tells us nothing about reality, discuss. The analogy of the cave is and illustration by Plato based on his theory of forms to show people that the world we are living in is the world of appearances and the analogy shows the difficult journey it would take for the person who uses the reason to gain knowledge so that they would be able to reach the world of forms. Some may argue that the analogy of the cave does not tell us anything about reality, as a prisoner being locked in a cave in modern day today is unlikely so how can we learn lessons from this if it is unrealistic. Also the forms are subjective such as the justification and beauty as well as expressing emotion, this thought process is very absolutist. The idea that only if you use your reason that only if you were at the top for example a philosopher who can see the truth it is elitist. As there are people with learning difficulties maybe not able to see the truth. In today’s society we try to value everyone and believe that we are all equal. Also this world of forms that is trying to be shown through the analogy of the cave is just a theory as there is no evidence for it, which makes everything meaningless, as it cannot be verified. As our senses are continuously deceiving us and the world of appearances is in a constant state of flux how will we ever be able to reach this world of forms if we are constantly changing and being deceived and that we will never reach this...
Words: 639 - Pages: 3
...Explain the analogy of the cave in Plato’s republic (25 marks) Plato, 428-347 B.C., was an Athenian philosopher who lived in Ancient Greece. In 407 B.C. he became a pupil and friend of Socrates. After living for a time at the Syracuse court, Plato founded (c.387 B.C.) near Athens the most influential school of the ancient world, the Academy, where he taught until his death. The “Republic” is one of Plato’s greatest books that he has written. Plato’s presents one of the most famous analogies in philosophy: the cave. This analogy illustrates the effects of true knowledge. True knowledge moves the philosopher through life without any distractions, which in due course brings him to the Form of the Good. He tells the Allegory of the Cave as a conversation between his teacher Socrates who inspired many of Plato's philosophical theories and Glaucon. In the dialogue between Socrates and Glaucon, Socrates asks Glaucon to imagine a cave, in which prisoners have been kept since their childhood, and each of them is held where they are all chained so that their legs and necks are unable to turn or allow them to move. This leaves them in a predicament where they’re forced to look at a wall in front of them. Behind the prisoners is a fire and between the fire and the prisoners is a raised walkway (bridge), on which people can walk. These people are shadow play, and they are carrying objects, in the shape of human and animal figures, as well as everyday items. The prisoners could only see...
Words: 1315 - Pages: 6
...“Describe the meaning of the shadows in the analogy of the cave.” The analogy of the cave is what Plato used to portray his idea of the World of Forms more clearly. In it, he tells us to imagine that there are a group of prisoners who have been held in a cave all their lives, and have never left it or had any experience of the outside world. They are all chained facing a wall, so that they can never see the cave’s entrance. At the entrance of the cave, there is a fire, and whenever someone or something passes that fire, it casts a shadow onto the wall the prisoners are facing. The prisoners think that the shadows are reality. But one day, a prisoner breaks free and rushes outside the cave. He sees the fire, and people, animals and other things. Here, he has discovered the real world and for the first time realizes that it is so much more than the cave, the shadows and everything else seen previously. This man is so overwhelmed by this new reality that he has found that he goes back into the cave, to tell the other prisoners what they are missing out on. However, the rest of the prisoners do not believe him, and in fact become angry at the man, because they believe that the shadows are reality. The outside world is a depiction of Plato’s world of forms. He believed that the World of Forms was the true reality that we will never accept until we see it for ourselves. The cave represents the physical world in which we live. This “cave” that we live in makes us somewhat ignorant...
Words: 587 - Pages: 3
...the perfect version of the form. The world of the forms is an epistemology which can only be used by tapping into the intelligible world without using your senses. For example in the world appearances they are many types of cats but in the world of the forms there is only one perfect version of that cat. Plato’s analogy of the cave is a way to interpret Plato theory of the forms and his idea about the universe. Plato’s analogy begins with the prisoners sat in the cave, chained together, and facing a wall preventing them to see or to gain any movement: a fire blazes behind them and on the other side of a passage way. Along the pass way men carrying statues and talking casting shadows on the wall which the prisoners face which made the prisoners it is a puppet because that is all they have seen all their life. When a prisoner escapes the cave, he realises that the shadows casted are real people and that they is another world with a sun outside which at first he is blinded by. When he returns to tell the others prisoners what he had seen they do not want to leave the cave and say they will kill anyone who leaves the cave again. There are symbols in Plato’s analogy of the cave that could link to his theory of forms or his view on the universes. The prisoner represents the people in the world who have questioned or wondered what goes on beyond this world (philosophers). Plato...
Words: 1667 - Pages: 7
...What does Plato’s analogy of the cave tell us about human beings? Plato's analogy of the cave is intended to explain our journey to knowledge which is the purpose of philosophy. He does this by comparing an average person to someone who has been confined to an isolated life in a cave with the ability to only look at the shadows casted on the wall. This is used to represent the limitation of the human mind and their inability to look beyond their senses. The prisoner is enslaved to a life of in cave only seeing the shadows that are casted on the wall in front of him. This symbolises an average person who has not embarked on the journey to true knowledge and is living their life only seeing what is on the surface, what they want to see. In the cave the prisoner is held by chains, this represents the power of society over the average human being and is reinforced by the influence of media which portrays a life of misapprehension. The prisoner is cloaked with a false reality and has never known life outside the cave, this tells us that human beings have become accustom to their ‘comfort zone’ and refuse to believe in a world that they have never seen. This relates to Plato’s idea that our senses are what deceive us but can we seek a world that we have never seen, heard or felt? The mind is where all great things are conceived and no two minds are alike, this allows us to seek truth through reasoning. Plato believes that our mind is conditioned by the walls of society and humanity...
Words: 570 - Pages: 3
...The analogy of the cave is the method that a Greek philosopher named Plato used to describe the philosophical different between the ‘fake world’ in which we live and the world of forms. Plato portrays this message through a story of a group of prisoners in a cave who can only see shadows cast upon the wall in front of them. These shadows are created by puppeteers behind them and they believe that the shadows are reality. The message created through this scene is that the real world is full of illusion which hides reality. It subtly represents the human which confines the soul, preventing it from seeking the truth, in this case, reality and the world of the forms. The analogy represents the entire human race that is yet to seek the philosophical truth. It teaches us that the world in which we live is full of illusion and everything we see is just an imitation of the forms. Each element of the analogy is symbolic and holds a meaning which may not be completely obvious until the analogy is further understood. We, as prisoners are believed to be rejecting of new ideas and that the actual process of teaching is distressing and difficult due to the fact that when the prisoner is first released he continuously attempts to return to the cave as it is where he feels comfortable. The way the prisoner is dragged up into reality again reiterates the idea that we are all quite narrow-minded and we don’t want to open up to new thoughts and ideas. When the prisoner begins to differentiate...
Words: 483 - Pages: 2
...Explain Plato’s analogy of the cave. Plato, a famous Greek philosopher who wrote the ‘Allegory of the cave’ attempted to answer some philosophical questions (Why are we here? What is reality?). Plato tells the ‘Allegory of the Cave’ as a conversation between him and his teacher, Socrates, who inspired may of Plato’s philosophical theories. The Analogy of the cave is one of the most famous passages in Plato’s republic. Imagine prisoners being chained up in a cave, since their childhood. Theses prisoners are chained up and forced to look at the wall in the cave. The only source of light in the cave comes from a fire. Behind these prisoners is the fire and between them is a raised walkway, which allows people to walk through the cave. As the people walk through the cave their shadows are reflected onto the wall and their voices are cast as echoes. The prisoners assume that the echoes come from the shadows cast on the wall. This makes that prisoners believe that the shadows on the wall are real, because they are unable to see what is really happening. This means that the prisoners are unable to see the true causes of the shadows, as they are unable to see behind them. Suppose one of the prisoners is finally freed. This prisoner is forced into the real world; he feels confused and doesn’t understand what is going on. He naturally wants to go back to his familiar surroundings of the cave, if the prisoner is prevented from going back to the cave. Gradually his eyes become accustomed...
Words: 1050 - Pages: 5
...Socrates begins this Book with the last of his analogies. This is the most famous of all of his analogies. Thus the Allegory of the Cave was born. It describes Socrates’s levels of belief and knowledge, as well as describing the role of the philosopher in a society. Without going in to depth about the analogy, I must answer the question if this relates to political life now. Socrates imagines a cave with a long passage leading upward in to the light. In this cave there are people who have been bound up here since birth. They are positioned in such a way that they cannot move. All are forced to look straight ahead at the wall of this cave. Behind each prisoner there is a large fire. Between the prisoners and the fire there is a road,...
Words: 631 - Pages: 3
...Plato’s analogy begins in a cave. The cave is meant to represent the physical world or the world of sense experience. A number of prisoners are bound by their necks and legs so that they cannot turn around. They have been this way since birth and know no other life than this. Behind the prisoners are a low wall, a walkway and a fire that burns. From time to time individuals carry objects like marionettes in front of the fire and shadows are cast against the wall in front of them. The prisoners observe the shadows that flicker before them and have developed a game over time. They try to predict the movements of the shadows. They associate the sounds made by the individuals with the shadows as this is all they know. They think of them as true reality. The prisoners in this case represent the ignorant unenlightened individuals yet to discover philosophical truth. They are duped into believing that the shadows they see are the real objects in themselves or that the sounds the people make are being made by the shadows. Plato argues that the shadows and games played are equivalent to the five senses deceiving the individual. He believes that the objects we see in the physical world are pale reflections or imitations of the true ‘Form’ of that object in the World of Forms. Furthermore the individuals in the analogy that carry the marionettes represent the Athenian government that wished to maintain the status quo and discouraged free and independent thought. Plato asks us to imagine...
Words: 410 - Pages: 2
