Suha Ahmed
Mr. Ruth
English 111; Section 4239
22 September 2016
Education and Culture Making its Way Out of the Cave
“And now, I said, let me show in a figure how far our nature is enlightened or unenlightened: - Behold! human beings living in a underground den, which has a mouth open towards the light and reaching all along the den; here they have been from their childhood and have their legs and necks chained so that they cannot move, and can only see before them, being prevented by the chains from turning round their heads” (Plato 201). Conveyed by Plato, “The Allegory of the Cave,” published in The Republic, is a dialogue between Socrates and Glaucon, about the enlightened versus the benighted. Plato envisioned ideal society by examining …show more content…
In this text, Plato differentiates two kinds of individuals, those who misinterpret sensory knowledge as the truth, and the ones who do seek the truth. All of us start out as prisoners, and it is our choice whether we stay in the cave or go out, but in certain situations, it may not always be. All items presented in the “Allegory of the Cave” are symbolic. The most important symbol, the cave, represents a superficial world where information is reached to and contained within individuals. Those who stay in the cave are in the darkness, and these are the kind who tend to be ignorant. Many stay this way either to not face the reality, accept the truth, or even change or let go of their past. As Plato states, “How could they see anything but the shadows if they were never allowed to move their heads” (201), supports the idea of ignorance. Since the prisoners have no clue what the outside world is like -- they are chained in such way where they are only facing and are only able to see the shadows -- which they believe are real. The prisoners are unaware of nature, truth, and reality. Same applies for human beings; since we are reluctant in accepting the fact, we choose to stay in the …show more content…
We think we understand the world around us, and what we perceive is real. However, we are incorrect and what we perceive are basically shadows and illusions. I myself have experienced, shifting schools, going from one kind of environment to a totally opposite kind. Sadly, my best friend did not get to undergo this, since her parents had decided that a protected environment was best suited for her. Moreover, from both our experiences, we can conclude that once my friend will step out of the cave into college, she will likely be more afraid and timid due to the lack of experience. Sometimes we pass traditions to generations, and they accept it without thinking, and in this case, my friend’s parents should have been more open minded. After all, living in a country like America, where everyone is trying to become successful, should have had at least impacted their
Mr. Ruth
English 111; Section 4239
22 September 2016
Education and Culture Making its Way Out of the Cave
“And now, I said, let me show in a figure how far our nature is enlightened or unenlightened: - Behold! human beings living in a underground den, which has a mouth open towards the light and reaching all along the den; here they have been from their childhood and have their legs and necks chained so that they cannot move, and can only see before them, being prevented by the chains from turning round their heads” (Plato 201). Conveyed by Plato, “The Allegory of the Cave,” published in The Republic, is a dialogue between Socrates and Glaucon, about the enlightened versus the benighted. Plato envisioned ideal society by examining …show more content…
In this text, Plato differentiates two kinds of individuals, those who misinterpret sensory knowledge as the truth, and the ones who do seek the truth. All of us start out as prisoners, and it is our choice whether we stay in the cave or go out, but in certain situations, it may not always be. All items presented in the “Allegory of the Cave” are symbolic. The most important symbol, the cave, represents a superficial world where information is reached to and contained within individuals. Those who stay in the cave are in the darkness, and these are the kind who tend to be ignorant. Many stay this way either to not face the reality, accept the truth, or even change or let go of their past. As Plato states, “How could they see anything but the shadows if they were never allowed to move their heads” (201), supports the idea of ignorance. Since the prisoners have no clue what the outside world is like -- they are chained in such way where they are only facing and are only able to see the shadows -- which they believe are real. The prisoners are unaware of nature, truth, and reality. Same applies for human beings; since we are reluctant in accepting the fact, we choose to stay in the …show more content…
We think we understand the world around us, and what we perceive is real. However, we are incorrect and what we perceive are basically shadows and illusions. I myself have experienced, shifting schools, going from one kind of environment to a totally opposite kind. Sadly, my best friend did not get to undergo this, since her parents had decided that a protected environment was best suited for her. Moreover, from both our experiences, we can conclude that once my friend will step out of the cave into college, she will likely be more afraid and timid due to the lack of experience. Sometimes we pass traditions to generations, and they accept it without thinking, and in this case, my friend’s parents should have been more open minded. After all, living in a country like America, where everyone is trying to become successful, should have had at least impacted their