A theory written by Plato, ‘The Allegory of The Cave’ explains the concern of human perception. Plato differentiates between people who mistake sensory knowledge for the truth and people who really do see the truth. The material world is just partial pictures of true images. Relying on physical senses alone, makes you “effectively blind”, according to Socrates. The world we see is a reflection of what the world represents, not a very accurate representation. Plato claimed that, “Knowledge gained through the senses is no more than opinion and that, in order to have real knowledge, we must gain it through philosophical reasoning.”
Plato’s theory includes the characteristics of a cave, shadows, the game, the escape, and the return. All …show more content…
For example, the cave represents the people in the world who only base their knowledge off of the things they see and hear around them. According to Plato, these people were considered to be blind to reality and not have a correct understanding of the world in which they live. Also, the shadows the prisoners see are supposed to represent how people in the world interpret things. Plato believes that if you only accept what you see and hear to be the truth than you are actually only seeing the “shadow” of the truth. Furthermore, the game that the prisoners play serves as a way of mocking those people who believe that people who are “masters” of the seeing and hearing world are smart. Plato says that the “master” of the seeing and hearing world actually does not know anything. Plato goes on to say it is foolish to look up to someone who is like this. Additionally, the escape of the prisoner from the cave represents philosophers who want to learn and know things other than what they see and hear, or in other words thinking of things in a more open minded way. Finally, the sun in the story represents truth and true knowledge of the world. The prisoner’s adventure expresses how philosophers are always trying to find the truth in and about things. It also represents the journey for wisdom made by philosophers. The return of the prisoner and the reaction of the other
Plato’s theory includes the characteristics of a cave, shadows, the game, the escape, and the return. All …show more content…
For example, the cave represents the people in the world who only base their knowledge off of the things they see and hear around them. According to Plato, these people were considered to be blind to reality and not have a correct understanding of the world in which they live. Also, the shadows the prisoners see are supposed to represent how people in the world interpret things. Plato believes that if you only accept what you see and hear to be the truth than you are actually only seeing the “shadow” of the truth. Furthermore, the game that the prisoners play serves as a way of mocking those people who believe that people who are “masters” of the seeing and hearing world are smart. Plato says that the “master” of the seeing and hearing world actually does not know anything. Plato goes on to say it is foolish to look up to someone who is like this. Additionally, the escape of the prisoner from the cave represents philosophers who want to learn and know things other than what they see and hear, or in other words thinking of things in a more open minded way. Finally, the sun in the story represents truth and true knowledge of the world. The prisoner’s adventure expresses how philosophers are always trying to find the truth in and about things. It also represents the journey for wisdom made by philosophers. The return of the prisoner and the reaction of the other