The ‘Allegory of the Cave’ is a chapter presented by the Greek philosopher Plato in his book “The Republic”. This chapter focuses on the concept of reality and how it affects human life. Plato depicts four different ways of thinking that are stages represented in an individual’s life. The four concepts of thinking include imagining, believing, realizing, and understanding. Plato uses these concepts in his ‘Allegory of the Cave to give meaning behind why he has skepticism about art and reality, and why these concepts are still relevant today.
The first concept in ‘Allegory of the Cave’ is imagination, and this is presented in the very beginning of the story. In the ‘Allegory of the Cave’, a group of prisoners is introduced in a cave and bound …show more content…
At this point in the story, a prisoner is freed from his bonds and is able to look at the fire and the objects that actually cast the shadows that he saw. When he looks at these objects he then realizes that what he first saw was not as real as he had first believed. He accepts that these objects must be the most real thing because he has seen how the shadow is a mere imitation of the original object. This shows how the prisoner believes in what he has seen, but has yet to completely perceive reality outside of the cave. In this part of Plato’s ‘Allegory of the Cave’, he discusses his belief on the problem with representation in art. Plato theorizes that art is just an imitation of true reality. However, I believe that art is much more than just ‘imitation’, it is expression, imagination, and creativity as well. Plato believed that art was a copy of a form and an illusion of reality. Plato uses this stage to represent how belief can be fooling to perception because the prisoner believes these objects to be true, but there is a more “real” world just outside of his …show more content…
He does this by explaining how the knowledgeable prisoner returns to show the other prisoners his findings, but they don’t believe him and even want to kill him. Plato believes that for most people, they live their lives in the shadows, comfortable in their ignorance. Today, Plato’s concepts are definitely relevant because our society seems to devote their lives to worthless and shallow things. Society focuses on appearance and doesn’t pay much attention to the world around them and sometimes society can be blinded by their own ignorance or stubbornness. Like Plato discussed, the cave prisoners were bound to their own version of reality because they had never experienced the outside world. So, when the former prisoner returns and explains his experience, the others mock him and are stubborn in their own beliefs because they have not perceived reality the same way. Our society today focuses on their own bubble and doesn’t consider the truth because it can be overwhelming and different. Plato expresses this in the ‘Allegory of the Cave’ saying, “And at first he would most easily discern the shadows and, after that, the likenesses or reflections in water of men and other things, and later, the things themselves”. When the prisoner first experiences the outside world he becomes overwhelmed from his new perception, and he has to take it in
The first concept in ‘Allegory of the Cave’ is imagination, and this is presented in the very beginning of the story. In the ‘Allegory of the Cave’, a group of prisoners is introduced in a cave and bound …show more content…
At this point in the story, a prisoner is freed from his bonds and is able to look at the fire and the objects that actually cast the shadows that he saw. When he looks at these objects he then realizes that what he first saw was not as real as he had first believed. He accepts that these objects must be the most real thing because he has seen how the shadow is a mere imitation of the original object. This shows how the prisoner believes in what he has seen, but has yet to completely perceive reality outside of the cave. In this part of Plato’s ‘Allegory of the Cave’, he discusses his belief on the problem with representation in art. Plato theorizes that art is just an imitation of true reality. However, I believe that art is much more than just ‘imitation’, it is expression, imagination, and creativity as well. Plato believed that art was a copy of a form and an illusion of reality. Plato uses this stage to represent how belief can be fooling to perception because the prisoner believes these objects to be true, but there is a more “real” world just outside of his …show more content…
He does this by explaining how the knowledgeable prisoner returns to show the other prisoners his findings, but they don’t believe him and even want to kill him. Plato believes that for most people, they live their lives in the shadows, comfortable in their ignorance. Today, Plato’s concepts are definitely relevant because our society seems to devote their lives to worthless and shallow things. Society focuses on appearance and doesn’t pay much attention to the world around them and sometimes society can be blinded by their own ignorance or stubbornness. Like Plato discussed, the cave prisoners were bound to their own version of reality because they had never experienced the outside world. So, when the former prisoner returns and explains his experience, the others mock him and are stubborn in their own beliefs because they have not perceived reality the same way. Our society today focuses on their own bubble and doesn’t consider the truth because it can be overwhelming and different. Plato expresses this in the ‘Allegory of the Cave’ saying, “And at first he would most easily discern the shadows and, after that, the likenesses or reflections in water of men and other things, and later, the things themselves”. When the prisoner first experiences the outside world he becomes overwhelmed from his new perception, and he has to take it in