Plato is the philosopher who has more influence on Western culture. At twenty he became a disciple of Socrates whom he considered his teacher and whose shameful death sentence left him marked forever. His ephemeral career in politics and as a founder of the academy led him to reflect on the problems that affect human beings. In this short analysis I will explain my understanding of the allegory of the cave and its different elements applied to today’s society base on my interpretation which is related to many questions regarding this philosophy, for example why some of the people inside the cave refuse to come to the light, why does the light of the sun hurts and some aspects of what being human represents.
Plato exposes his concept …show more content…
A very significant moment of the allegory of the cave is the representation of the sun and the first reaction the prisoner had to the sun, basically Plato describes how the light and all its glory was hurting the eyes of the prisoner, but the sun at the same time represents knowledge, freedom, and is the first step in the search of the liberation of the soul that is limited and lock inside the body. To that affirmation, we should ask: why does it hurt to see the light? why is there just so much light that we can handle, and why are humans so sensitive to the light and its representation of knowledge and freedom? Remarking again that the light is the representation of knowledge. Eluding to Plato philosophy of knowledge David Papineau (77) cited Plato when he said “ when we do know anything it is something that, once grasped by the mind, cannot be taken away”. The subject of this knowledge is things that cannot change (knowledge cannot be un-know): there are the forms. They can be thought of as abstract qualities such as triangularity, virtue or courage; or as ideal models as things varied as humans, society, and everyday objects. But for Plato, the essential characterization of the forms is: what can be known.” An interpretation to this could be that seem the light comes with responsibilities, that we can have comprehension, but this must be about rather different things from those things we think about everyday life. Plato tries to tell us that if we do not help each other and we do not open our eyes to what is before us, try to know why we will never know what is the true
Plato exposes his concept …show more content…
A very significant moment of the allegory of the cave is the representation of the sun and the first reaction the prisoner had to the sun, basically Plato describes how the light and all its glory was hurting the eyes of the prisoner, but the sun at the same time represents knowledge, freedom, and is the first step in the search of the liberation of the soul that is limited and lock inside the body. To that affirmation, we should ask: why does it hurt to see the light? why is there just so much light that we can handle, and why are humans so sensitive to the light and its representation of knowledge and freedom? Remarking again that the light is the representation of knowledge. Eluding to Plato philosophy of knowledge David Papineau (77) cited Plato when he said “ when we do know anything it is something that, once grasped by the mind, cannot be taken away”. The subject of this knowledge is things that cannot change (knowledge cannot be un-know): there are the forms. They can be thought of as abstract qualities such as triangularity, virtue or courage; or as ideal models as things varied as humans, society, and everyday objects. But for Plato, the essential characterization of the forms is: what can be known.” An interpretation to this could be that seem the light comes with responsibilities, that we can have comprehension, but this must be about rather different things from those things we think about everyday life. Plato tries to tell us that if we do not help each other and we do not open our eyes to what is before us, try to know why we will never know what is the true