The Allegory of the Cave
So, here is the written and narrated version of Plato's Allegory of the Cave. Since you are all young, energetic, intelligent and future college grads, how does this theory apply to you? Figure out what it means and apply it to yourself as a future leader of society.
I'm having horrific flashbacks of drawing this thing out last year...
ReplyDeleteAnyways, the main point of Plato's renowned "Allegory of the Cave" is enlightenment and the power it possesses as an influence upon others.
The concept of ignorance is strange. Those who are enlightened look upon these individuals (a.k.a. The people in the cave) as deprived, lesser, ect. However, that is all those people have ever known, and therefore they do not realize the tragic state of their condition.
We're all ignorant to something or another right? I consider myself to be extremely naive about the world. I've only experience one small, back woods slice of it. I can't possibly be capable of "looking upon the sun" quite yet.
The allegory is interesting because it addressees all stages of enlightenment from shadows to reflection, to the stars and lastly the sun. The sun represents the full truth and the way it covers and nurtures the world in every possible way.
We all strive to see the sun. To see the world for what it truly is.
Or at least I do. I suppose I know individuals who could care less.
The end of the allegory stresses the importance of teaching the ignorant, allowing the blind to see, in a sense. This is where the lesson is learned and applied to our own lives.
In Benjamin Hoff's The Tao of Pooh, the pompous scholar is ridiculed for his seeking knowledge for the mere sake of knowledge. Plato's allegory teaches similarly, believing that knowledge should not be acquired simply for one's own selfish gain, but for the betterment of mankind.
So as people who value education we all share in this responsibility, to not simply acquire knowledge but to apply it to the world in a way that is beneficial. Enlightening the ignorant so that they do not make the same, misinformed mistakes, like the calling of out shadows as the real thing.
Modern Taoists and ancient philosophers alike feel the same in regards to knowledge. There must be some merit to it.
As I go off to college I hope to be reaching a new stage of enlightenment. Maybe I can finally look upon the reflections, or the night sky. However, most generally view college as a personal endeavor. A journey taken in an attempt to ensure one's future success. The Allegory of the Cave reminds us that a selfish pursuit is not one worth any measure of merit.
We have to share the crops we have sowed. The knowledge we have acquired.
Danielle,
DeleteI really enjoyed your blog. I think that the way that your discussed knowledge was very interesting. I also thought that the way that you referenced The Tao of Pooh was very good. I think that it added a lot to your blog. Nice job!
Danielle,
DeleteI also remember drawing the cave last year, it was not a fun time. Well I really enjoyed your discussion of the allegory with the Tao of Pooh. I think that it was a very nice incorporation. I agree that we are all ignorant of something, I personally feel very naive to the world as well. It will be nice to go to college and get to experience more of the world around us. Great blog!!
Danielle,
DeleteYour Tao of Pooh reference was really awesome. I mean I still really don't know why we read that book for a Theology class, but who cares, its over with. Learning for the betterment of mankind really supported the topic of the blog. Good job.
I have always found this theory to be very interesting. I think that the intelligence of Plato to even think of this is incredible. The theory deals with two groups of people, the people with knowledge and those without knowledge. The people who are chained and unable to leave the cave are the ones who do not have any knowledge. These people are trapped inside the cave. They believe that what they are seeing is the real thing. They do not know any better. The people who are with knowledge are the people who are making the shadows into the wall. They know that the shadows are just an illusion, and the real thing is not present.
ReplyDeleteAdults and infants can be compared likewise. When we are young we do not know anything other than the confines of our house, and the few places that we travel. We believe that this is all that is in the world. We are unable to comprehend anything else. We do not question this because in our minds there is nothing else. The adults are the people in the allegory who are making the shadows. Although they are not purposely doing this they have knowledge of what is going on. They do know that there is a world out there. Once an infant is exposed to the world, such as school and activities, they are unable to return to the state of innocence that they were in prior to their new view.
This also can be compared to us as high school students looking to attend college. At this point in most of our lives we have been under the care and guidance of our parents. We always have food on the table when we need it, and our clothes are washed for us. As we embark on our journey to college we will have to lean how to provide for ourselves. Although we currently do not know what the rest of the world is like, we will soon come out of the cave and learn what the real world has to offer.
Overall, the Allegory of the Cave is a great parable that teaches us about knowledge and even when we think we know everything we could still be wrong. It also shows us how much more there is in life that we have not seen, even though we think we have seen almost everything. I really think that his allegory if perfect for most circumstances.
Luke,
DeleteI agree that we are very ignorant when we are young. Then we grow older and come to realize all of the problems with the world when we start learning. College will definitely be a different experience for us. It will be strange not living in the same house as our parents and having to do our own laundry. This will be something that we all will have to get used too and will seem very strange for us at first. Well, great job on your blog!!
Kraus,
DeleteThere is so much left unseen. In the good old town of St. Marys we don’t have a lot of things that people in big cities do. It is time to start learning about those things, however. When we go to college it is going to be a whole new ball game. We are going to be like the people in the cave that are enlightened for the first time. It will be wonderful
I remember drawing this stinking cave on one of our tests last year and I got points taken off for my poor drawing abilities....well anyways so the allegory of the cave is about being ignorant of reality due to being blocked or shielded from the truth.
ReplyDeleteSo the prisons are ignorant of the sun and colors, this is because they have only known shadows and darkness inter lives. So when they are released into reality they are shocked because everything that they have previously though was wrong. They had the completely wrong impression on the world due to being stuck in the cave.
Parents shield their kids from many things. Like when watching a movie and a terrify or inappropriate scene comes on they often tell their children to close their eyes or leave the room. Well that's what happened to me when I was little anyways. Being banished to the other room was the worst, just saying. We are extremely ignorant when we are young and that was makes little children so beautiful. They don't have to worry about financials or the state that their country is in. Their biggest concern is nap time.
However, as we grow older we become less ignorant as we acquire knowledge. We learn a lot from our classmates and we become more involved with the world around us. However, there are still things that we are ignorant of. So in a sense we are all prisoners in the cave and there are still many things that we will have to learn as we go off to college. Living in a small town all our lives we are ignorant of the city.
Also being raised in a catholic school we aren't quite as exposed as other kids. I have never personally witnessed a fist fight at school, but I am told from other kids that go to a public school that it happens all the time there. Being in a catholic school we also are not exposed to many different religious groups. Yes, we studied them in theology but we never really met anyone with a faith that differed from our own. This is something that we will all probably experience in college that we will be ignorant of and we will have to learn from.
So, I guess we could consider ourselves the prisoners, but it isn't really a bad thing. It just means that we will encounter new people and situations that we may have not have experienced before. We will learn from these experiences and expand our knowledge. As long as we don't become overwhelmed like the prisoners did when they saw the sun for the first time. I think that we will be perfectly fine. So, we are like the prisoners but we are smarter and better adaptable to the situations that we will encounter.
Michaela,
DeleteYou are so right. We are exposed to very little during our time at ECC. I don’t necessarily think that that is a bad thing, but it also isn’t the greatest thing that has ever happened. It would be nice if we saw just a bit more. I was also banished to the other room during bad movie scenes. I hated it. It does make us ignorant. At some point and time, however, we must be left to grow and acquire knowledge for ourselves. In a way we definitely are the prisoners.
Michaela,
DeleteI think that your had the exact idea with how we are shielded from other people. Most of the people at our school are the same. We do not get to whiteness other people from different races, ethnicity, or religions. This is a downfall of a Catholic school. I think this analogy was perfect for this prompt. Nice blog!
Michaela,
DeleteThat blog was spot on. The thing with the children and how they're so beautiful because they know nothing is totally right. They are lucky they don't know anything about our government... Haha! but anyways it really was a good blog. Nothing to dislike about it. Awesome!
Junior year all over again.
ReplyDeleteThe Allegory of the Cave is really all about education. Plato is discussing how an uneducated man goes up and “ascends” out of the cave. This is his path to education. The man being led up is like each of us when we are children. We have no idea of how the world actually works. Then little by little we make the ascent out of the cave. When we get out we are confused and dazed just as the man is by the light of the sun.
This isn’t to say, however, that we are looking into the sun. I personally feel like I am still looking at the reflections in the water. I do not know the truth of the world, and I am not sure that I ever really will. It almost seems unlikely because it is nearly impossible for every person to know everything. By the end of college, though, I would like to at least be at the phase of looking into the sun.
I think that the phase of analyzing the sun kind of comes later on in life. When we graduate college and actually inject ourselves into the real world. Then we take what we have learned and think about. It is our chance to actually put it into action and analyze it to see if it is applicable to out lives. It is an essential part of learning to take what we know and use it to help us along in our daily lives.
Then we are responsible to make the descent back into the cave. We have to help those who are not educated in the same way that we are. They may not have the same opportunity that we do to get an education, and we need to be respectful of that. They are ignorant to what learning can do to help them along their way. This is where it is our job to teach them everything that we can and make their lives better. The descent back into the cave is probably the most important part of the journey. I just hope that I am smart enough to be able to make the descent.
As I go off to college next year I will be making my way closer and closer to the sun. One day I will see it in all its glory. I will find truth and shed at least some my ignorance. When that day comes I will make descent back into the cave, and I will teach others to look at the sun just as I have.
Megan,
DeleteJunior year...bad times
Anyways, nice analysis! I definitively agree that just because on has begun to travel through the educational system that certainly does not ensure that they are seeing the truth of the world. It seems impossible at this point in our lives to truly understand anything, but I also hope that college well be a helpful step in that process.
Nice blog.
Megan McKenna,
DeleteI know! When I saw "Allegory of the Cave" I almost pooped myself. Bad memories! Haha!
Anyway, I like your analysis. I believe that you are correct in saying that it has to do with education and leading others toward knowledge once we uncover it for ourselves. But how will we do that? Coming back from the Dominican, I believe that it can only truly and completely be accomplished through God's guidance and love. It is truly through Him that we can start to see the truth within the world, and begin to peer at the sun. And it is our duty on Earth to be God's servants and lead them to the sun, as well. Sorry for the preaching. I just believe that this allegory has more to do with our faith than we think.
Great blog! I can't wait to reunite with the AP English literature class! :)
I’ve never read the Allegory of the Cave before, and I’ve never really been familiar with it. I had to read it a few times to actually get the just of it. But after understanding it, man that was deep.
ReplyDeleteThe uneducated people are obviously the prisoners held captive in the cave. They really do not know what life is, and are, in a sense, blinded to the real world. They have their own ‘real world’, but in reality it’s not the way humans were supposed to live, literally living in a cave that is.
There was one guy who escaped the wrath of the cave and ended up taking the scenic route around the real world. He gets to, not envision, but actually see things as they really are, and experience the real world hands on.
And this is where the whole point of the story comes into play. This man was considered educated and enlightened because he knew the truth that the other prisoners were deprived of. When he walks back into the cave and tells his friends what it was like in the real world, they become enlightened too. Even though they did not actually see the real world, they knew what it was like. And that’s the story of the birth of the rumor!! Just kidding…
I’m caught up in what I want to do when I get out of high school. I’m debating between several professions, and I’m at a loss what to do. But I’m enlightened because I have looked at colleges, job shadowed, blah blah blah, and I’ve narrowed down the selection over the past few years. When I am going to find the sun and know what I want to do is probably never going to happen at the pace I’m moving at. But when I do find it, I will go somewhere and do people service and help them and it will be a happily ever after ending. Ok probably not, but I think we all get the point. Find the sun, come back and help people. Ya…
I found this parable to relate with adults and children, especially women and little boys, or even men and women. The point is… WE KNOW NOTHING. Me and Luke are so clueless to the world around us it is ridiculous. And the beautiful thing about it is that we can confess it. It’s the women’s job to come to us and tell us ev-…
But the main point of that spiel was that people in general need to enlighten us so that we may too know what the real world looks like. And with that comes the God part of the blog. People need to promote him and his ideas so that others may share in eternal life. Help someone, go to church and drag your friends there too. Pull off a Rachel and run away so you don’t have to blog. Just Kidding, but we all get the point.
To sum up this work of art, Plato is a smart guy, I’m way too decisive, guys know ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, and that Jesus rocks. This blog is sure to get a 100.
Matt,
DeleteYou're so funny. I was just browsing and saw you last paragraph and KNEW I had to read the whole thing.
I'm very impressed with your analysis of the allegory, especially you did not have the same experience with the piece that the rest of us did. You certainly understood the gist of the piece and that is so,etching I don't think I would've been able to do on my own.
Good luck in "finding the sun."
Matt Bobby,
DeleteHaha! I still blogged!!! But I am a tad late. But I suggest that everyone runs away. Run out of the country. Do what you want to do. Pray to God, and ask him what His will is for you. He is the "sun" that we are all searching for. And I think you are the only who really promoted that in your blog. And I highly respect that. I love your second last paragraph. It holds so much truth. We are to be servants of the Lord, and guide others to be as well. We have to free them from their chains, and they will help free us from our chains as well. Who is the great mastermind behind all of this "liberating"? God. He can only truly free us. Amen. Haha! I swear that I didn't transform into a preacher or anything while I was away. I just embarked on a life changing experience that opened my eyes a little more to the world. And I want to share that with everyone. I want to help pull them away from the shadows, and they to do likewise.
Great blog, Matt Bobby! I can't wait to see you Tuesday!
AP Lang flashback! *scared face*
ReplyDeleteI cannot help it. I have to relate Plato’s Allegory of the Cave to the adventure I just embarked on in the past week.
Lack of education is similar to being chained in a cave, and only watching shadows in a cave. Being educated is like being torn out of the sheltered darkness, and being exposed to the world and all its creation. I feel as though I was slightly pulled out of my own cave, and a small amount of light was shed on to the world before my eyes in a different country.
Plato states at the end of his philosophy “they shall give of their help to one another wherever each class is able to help the community”. That is exactly what I did in the Dominican Republic. I am so fortunate to receive education here in the U.S. I witnessed many people who had little to no education in their lives in the poor villages in the foreign country. Their impoverished and run down villages are their shadows. Dirt roads, sugarcane, livestock, and poverty are their chains. It was my privilege to communicate with these unfortunate beings about my small (but broad compared to theirs) knowledge of the world and of God. They may have thought I was crazy, but they possessed a quality that perhaps loosened their chains - the willingness to learn.
The chained people in the cave represent ignorant, naïve beings that are not exposed to the world and knowledge. Yes, I traveled to the Dominican to help others in need (show them the sun, if you will), but somehow the trip seemed to help myself in a way. The uneducated, shadow-watching people actually brought me closer to the sun. Traveling to a foreign country with a drastically different culture opened my eyes. It blinded me, like the sun blinded the person pulled from the cave in the allegory. The culture, language, food, lifestyle, cities, and people opened my eyes to a totally fresh and different aspect of the world. Assisting others with my talents and gifts opened my eyes to the sun and the tree. I was “giving of my help to another wherever my class is able to help the community”, and I want to do it even more.
I want to travel as much as I can, and assist other people in the world, which in turn, actually benefits myself and broadens my knowledge as well. I want to free people from their chains and shadows, and bring them toward the sun. The only way to do that is to do God’s work and follow His will. It is only through Him in others that we can truly see the sun.