Plato was an Ancient Greek Philosopher who was taught by Socrates. Plato believed the world we live in a world of appearances, however he also believed that there is a world beyond, one containing forms which was the world of ideas which he the world of the forms. Forms are the general realities or ideals versions of something. Forms in Plato’s eyes where perfect versions of something, and in the world of the appearances they are many particulars which have copies or impact versions which imitate 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 would have said that we should question the world around use and how it became to be; the people who do not question are represented by the other prisoners who vow not to leave the cave, Plato uses them to demonstrate that they are prisoners of this world because they have not been “enlightened” by the truth and are not philophers. The tied prisoners are in an illusory world. what they think is reality , the shadow, is actually not, Plato says that their situation is not very different from ours, Plato was trying to say that because we do not see the forms clearly, only illusory physical world. In addition the people in the cave are prisoners; they need to be set free. In this sense the physical world imprisons people from seeing the forms and knowing the truth. The Cave in the analogy represents the material world which is physical but is an illusion; it is the empirical world where knowledge is gained from sensory experience. In the world of appearances everything is seen as a reflection of a form from the ideal and true world. For example the fire in the background in the cave is a reflection of the ideal form of the sun which represented the form of the good which represented God. The sun is the source of all things in existence; it gives light so you can perceive objects and it gives life to all things. The shadows on the wall in the cave supposed to imitate images of the forms. However the statues that are being carried by the men represent the objects in the physical world imitating forms. These images are themselves only imitations or copies of the real ideal forms. The people carrying the statues on their heads are often thought to be people who are chained because they both are seeing imitations of themselves but they think it reality because they are blinded by their senses which Plato said that our senses sometimes trick and deceive us and stop us from seeing or knowing the truth. When a prisoner escapes, it represents philosophers looking for the truth. Plato used this because he believed that people needed to be taught about the forms even though it may be distressing for some. Plato described the prisoners as being blinded by the sun which suggests that he was trying to say that it is sometimes hard to see the truth, and that we are living in the darkness. The sun also represents the form of the good. The analogy also shows that the sun is source of all other forms. It also shows that the sun sustains all living things in the world above ground. Above ground the prisoner eventually starts to see, this is represents the people who are studying philosopher and are gradually learning the truth of the forms and distinguishing them from copies or images of the world we live in. The prisoner then returns because he wants to enlighten his fellow prisoners of his experience. This represents Plat’s idea that those who have educated and can see the forms should teach others. When he goes back in to the cave first he cannot see this illustrates the difficulties of seeing forms within the world of appearances. The other prisoners don’t believe him at say they will kill anyone to leave the cave again, this illustrates people in the world we live in that they don’t want to know or see the truth because they is no evidence and because they haven’t seen it for their own eyes: this suggests to me that they are scared to find out the truth. This to me also is Plato trying to suggest that society will kill anyone who has such theories which goes against societies beliefs, Plato could be referring to the death of Socrates because he was killed because of his beliefs.
Plato used this to explain his theory of the Forms and but it doesn’t explain everything about the theory of the forms.
Strengths
They are many strengths and weaknesses of Plato’s theory. One of the many strengths is that it helps use to understand how imperfections in the world came about, it also helps use to understand that they is another world a true and perfect world. The theory of the forms can also encourage use to question the world around use in order to learn and accept things. Also Modern Genetics can prove that ideas of the forms are real. Individual members of a species because they share the same or common genetic code. The genetic code comes first, and the individual is able to grow and become a member of the species. Plato’s theory also proves Christians view of life after death true as Christians believe that heaven is a perfect world with no imperfection which is basically the same as the world of the forms.
Weaknesses
However they are also many weaknesses of this theory. It is very much impossible to prove and also not everyone will see these forms of god the same way, it is a subjective universe. Also if we believe that thy is a perfect version of everything does that mean they is a perfect version of all the unpleasant things, and the realm of the forms is meant to be perfect, unchanging and eternal. Plato also fails to illustrate the attractiveness of the physical world, the analogy of the cave is as some would say nothing like the Physical world we live in, and it is very hard to relate to it or understand it the way Plato may have wanted use to. It also doesn’t help use to understand the way we live and how everything became to be as it is. Plato implies that our senses are useless, however our senses have allowed use to survive millions of years and without our senses Plato would have not been able to come up with this theory as he wouldn’t have been able to see the world which surrounds him. People could also argue that the ideas of justice and beauty are not forms but ideas in people’s minds that they pass to others, such as children. Plato never clearly explained the link between forms and the world of appearances. They are no proof that another world exists. Also of what are their real forms? Are they forms of everything such as trousers, spray and lipsticks; Plato never explained or gave an answer to this question which makes it vey unclear. The third man argument.
Aristotle argued that the ideas or forms are developed from our continued experience of physical things. They do not exist eternally or independently. They exist only in language not some “world of forms”. Aristotle also said that a copy of a form could turn out to be an infinite series that never stopped; this would render the theory of Forms as meaningless as a way of explaining the ultimate origin of concepts such as the good, truth, beauty and justice.
Overall I do think that the Analogy of the cave is allegorical meaning that different elements are symbolic of the situation people find themselves and how the world can however the world is not always as bad decisive as Plato describes it as, it can be very joyful and fun at times which he doesn’t seem to illustrate. Plato’s theory in my point of view has many flaws because it leaves still many questions which were never answered such as is they a form for everything and if so even the unpleasant things of life. However it is a very good theory which does makes you want to question the world around you. Also as being a Christian kind of ties in with our belief of heaven that it perfect like his world of the forms; both believing that it is unchanging and eternal and perfect.