The Cave - Plato's view on the enlightened

COMMENT: All these years later, how perfectly the Cave describes the mechanism that has captured, deceived and diverted us from what is important and real about humanity. Real life has been arrested in our modern day; Instead, television and other forms of bread & circuses present to us imitations of life that we learn to take on as our role models and heroes.

The Allegory of the Cave – also known as the Analogy of the Cave, Plato’s Cave, or the Parable of the Cave – is an allegory used by the Greek philosopher Plato in his work The Republic to illustrate “our nature in its education and want of education”.

Socrates describes a group of people who have lived chained to the wall of a cave all of their lives, facing a blank wall. The people watch shadows projected on the wall by things passing in front of a fire behind them, and begin to ascribe forms to these shadows. According to Socrates, the shadows are as close as the prisoners get to viewing reality. He then explains how the philosopher is like a prisoner who is freed from the cave and comes to understand that the shadows on the wall are not constitutive of reality at all, as he can perceive the true form of reality rather than the mere shadows seen by the prisoners.

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reply to post by AlexIR


I love Plato's Cave allegory. A stark representation of the state sheeple are in every day of their lives, and not only sheeple, but the people themselves who believe they are "awake", when they are not awakened or akin to true reality, but merely understanding that, well, "the shadows aren't reality", and ready to step outside of the cave. S&F

reply to post by mr10k


Good thing that you pointed out that it was from plato i have no idea why i wrote Socrates ...

reply to post by AlexIR


No, it's okay, you put Plato in the Title.

Originally posted by AlexIR
reply to post by mr10k

 

Good thing that you pointed out that it was from plato

i have no idea why i wrote Socrates ...

Well, Socrates was Plato's mentor, so who knows, maybe it was Socrates' idea first and you were channeling that, lol.

Also to chime in that it was the Sophists who were the illusionists that were counting on the obedience of the chained audience to believe what they were shown.

I have seen this before, and am glad you brought this up again.
A fortelling of cable news you think?

reply to post by spacedoubt


it wont be wine until its time

Took a philosophy class in college that sparked a long term interest. We talked at length about allegory of the cave. Was fascinating to my 19 year old mind.

I think about it anytime someone talks about 4 dimensions. When in the class, my professor talked about the levels of understanding a car. Just understanding what a car looks like, through understanding internal combustion. I always try to be mindful of the whole of an object.

I feel a sense of humor is an added benefit.

I think you just sparked an interest in philosophy for me. Great analogy of the sheeple in this allegory. Thanks for sharing.

reply to post by Hutchie9Cyantist


Glad to hear that

Philosophy needs to be revived because it helps alot with the planning of our future.