allegory of the cave essay ideas

109 Allegory of the Cave Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

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🏆 Best Allegory of the Cave Topic Ideas & Essay Examples

📌 simple & easy allegory essay titles, 👍 good essay topics on allegory, ❓ allegory of the cave questions.

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Divided Line and the Allegory of the Cave It is necessary to underline the fact that the thinker strived to clarify common features of his Divided Line and the allegory of the Cave; the analysis of his philosophy gives an opportunity to realize […]
Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave” and Aristotle’s “High-Minded Man” The concept of a High-Minded man is close to Aristotle’s understanding of success and the contribution of different virtues to an individual’s happiness.
Plato’s “The Allegory of the Cave” and Le Guin’s “The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas” In general, Plato’s “The Allegory of the Cave” and LeGuin’s “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” address the same theme the truth and how it may affect people’s reality.
Plato’s Allegory of the Cave In Plato’s Allegory of the Cave, there is much darkness in the cave and only very little light can be found in this place and it is so hard for a person who is in […]
Climate Change and the Allegory of the Cave Plato’s allegory of the cave reflects well our current relationship with the environment and ways to find a better way to live in the world and live with it.
The Allegory of the Cave by Plato Review First of all, Plato created the people in the cave captives in order to rhetorically appeal to the audience’s emotions and arouse the sensations that already exist in them, which, of course, already produces an […]
Plato’s Allegory of the Cave and Descartes’ Meditations on First Philosophy Allegory by the Cave is one of the widely read and used books of Plato. Plato’s view on a Utopian society is slightly different in the sense that it is aligned more towards religion compared […]
Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave”: Nature of Reality His exceptional and genius ideas included the theory of forms, platonic realism, and platonic idealism.”The Allegory of the Cave” is written in the form of a dialogue between Socrates and Plato’s brother Glaucon.
The Allegory of the Cave: Meaning and Significance The cognitive method of conceptual thinking is attributed to the parable of lines, and the perception of the sky corresponds in this scheme to the mind’s cognition.
“Allegory of the Cave” by Plato As Plato was a disciple of Socrates and the source of much of the information we have regarding much of what this man had to say, Socrates’ concept of ethics is relevant to an understanding […]
“The Allegory of the Cave” by Platon: Perception, Reality, and Making Connections The Allegory of the Cave” is a fascinating story that provokes many thoughts about the nature of reality, truth, and perception.
The Theory of Knowledge and the Allegory of the Cave Firstly, Plato’s theory of knowledge accepts the existence of beliefs and even connects them with knowledge, despite refusing to accept subjective knowledge as true knowledge.
Allegory of the Cave by Plato Among them is the existence of objective truth, which is independent of people’s opinions; the presence of constant deceptions that make a person stay away from this truth; and the need for qualitative changes to […]
Plato’s Allegory of the Cave and the Main Features of His Philosophy The sense of opposing the reality and the perceived in the Cave myth is epistemological and is tied to the replacement of reliance on sensory cognition with mental comprehension. The reality of the Cave is […]
Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave” Analysis It would not be an exaggeration to state that Plato’s allegory of the cave only makes perfect sense if one views it in the light of the theory of forms.
Discussion Questions for Plato – The Allegory of the Cave Therefore, the inability of individuals to discover the truth and leave the cave makes them unable to choose between actual reality and the world that they falsely believe to be true.
Plato’s “The Allegory of the Cave”: Personal Review The sun represents the realm of knowledge illustrated by Plato’s Allegory of the Cave. I think that an individual has the power to shape their ideas and perspective of knowledge.
Gaines’ “A Lesson Before Dying” and Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave” This situation resembles the one found in Plato’s Allegory of the Cave discourse whereby the prisoners fixedly stare at the wall.
Twain’s “The Adventure of Huckleberry Finn” and Plato’s “The Allegory of the Cave” The judge goes to the extent of taking the boy’s father in his own home to help him reform his drinking problem. The father then decides to visit the house of the widow during which […]
“The Dawn of Man” and “The Allegory of the Cave” The Dawn of Man and The Allegory of the cave are going to be compared and discussed from the point of view of identical positions and man’s perception development which may be seen there.
Plato’s Allegory of the Cave in “The Republic” They also are learning the things that I am learning and starting to see dimensions where before there were not any.
Logic and Insight in Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave” The world outside the cave is the logical place; which is reachable to logic but not to insight; the voyage outside of the cave into daylight of the world is the soul’s inclination to the […]
Philosophy: The Allegory of the Cave In the Symposium and in the Apology, Socrates revealed the power of questioning the status quo and to see circumstances from a different frame of reference.
Plato’s Allegory of the Cave – Philosophy Talking amongst themselves, Plato supposes that the hostages use language to name the shadows that they see cast on the wall and they are convinced that the shadows are real objects.
Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave” and “You, Screws” The ‘Allegory of the cave’ and ‘You, Screws’ are two metaphors that different authors have used to show some similarity in the way people think and limit themselves to view the world and reality as […]
Connections Between Plato’s Allegory of the Cave & Galileo Galilei’s Dialogue of Two Chief World System A strong connection exists between the ideas of the two philosophers, Plato and Galileo, whereby, the actual nature of human mind and the nature of learning have been exposed. This is contrasted to the massive […]
“The Allegory of the Cave” by Plato The parable of the cave by Plato was an attempt to highlight the importance of education to the achievement of wisdom.
Allegory of the Cave: Conception of Education in Plato’s The Republic Behind the prisoners a fire is playing, so that they can see their own shadows and the shadows of one another thrown by the fire on the opposite wall of the cave in fact, shadows […]
Ignorance and Reason in the “Allegory of the Cave” Freedom is granted to a prisoner, and he is allowed to look at the things that cast the shadow shown to him.
Mental Imprisonment in the “Allegory of the Cave” The use of puppeteers by Plato inside the cave and things outside indicate that empirical discoveries never penetrate the ideal realm of truth thus calling for the need to move outside the cave.[2] The third […]
The Mind and Allegory of the Cave The highest type of reality is the one that is based on knowledge of forms as illustrated through the allegory of the cave.
Philosophical Concept of the Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave” This is in reference to the parable of the cave by Plato who describes the prisoners in the cave as if they just see the shadow but not the sun itself.
Truth in “Into the Wild” by John Krakauer and the “Allegory of the Cave” by Plato
The Value of Knowledge in Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave”
Similarities in Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave” and “A Tale of Two Cities”
The Similar Journey of Jane in “Jane Eyre” by Charlotte Bronte With Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave”
Skepticism in the Film “Matrix” and the “Allegory of the Cave”
The Relation Between the Movie “Chocolat” and Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave”
The Human Experience of Ignorance in the Book “Allegory of the Cave” by Plato
The Significance of the “Allegory of the Cave” for People Living in a World of Senses
“Truman Show” and “Allegory of the Cave” Reality
The Control of Society on What People See of the World in the “Allegory of the Cave” by Plato
The Determination of Truth in “Allegory of the Cave”
The Relationship of “Allegory of the Cave” to Learning and Education
The Concept of the Ideal Leader in “Allegory of the Cave” by Plato
“Allegory of the Cave” by Plato in Western Philosophy
The Progression of Humans From Childhood to Adulthood in “Allegory of the Cave” by Plato
Interpretations of Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave” in Erasmus’ “Praise of Folly”
The Portrayal of Enlightenment in “Allegory of the Cave” by Plato
The Meaning and Importance of “Allegory of the Cave” by Plato
The Philosophical Impact of Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave” on My Perception
A Study of Ancient Greece Using Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave”
Halfway Reality or a Full-Scale Fantasy in Plato’s “The Republic” and “Allegory of the Cave”
“Allegory of the Cave”: Plato’s Concept of Creating an Ideal State
Religion, Utopia, and the Concept of Perfection in “Allegory of the Cave” by Plato
Oppression, Freedom, and Happiness in “Allegory of the Cave”
Analysis of the Concept of Life Portrayed in “Allegory of the Cave” by Plato
Worthy Life and Worthy Death in Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave”
Understanding “Allegory of the Cave” by Plato for Believers
Concepts of Knowledge in “Allegory of the Cave”
Relationship Between Human Senses and Virtual Environments in “Allegory of the Cave” by Plato
Unraveling the Profundity of Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave”
Perception of the World and Information in “Allegory of the Cave” by Plato
Platonic Dualism in “Allegory of the Cave”
Symbolism and Illusions of the World in “Allegory of the Cave”
Perception of Reality in Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave”
“Allegory of the Cave”: Truth Is What Conforms With Fact or Reality
Personal Reflections on “Allegory of the Cave” by Plato
Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave” as a Playbook of Ostracization
Living the Life in “Allegory of the Cave” and “Why Do People Follow the Crowd”
Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave”: The Experience of Reality
Ignition of the Darkness: Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave” and Its Impact
Main Message of Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave”
Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave” and Immanuel Kant’s Categorical Imperative
Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave” and the Non-Material World
Religious, Political, and Educational Aspects of Society in “Allegory of the Cave”
Human’s Meaning in “Allegory of the Cave” by Plato
“Allegory of the Cave”: Effect of Education and the Lack of It in Our Nature
Modern Interpretation of Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave”
How Can Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave” Be Read in a Contemporary Social, Geo-Political Milieu?
How Does Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave” Apply to Your Life Individually, at School, and in the World?
What Is the Main Task of the Philosopher According to “Allegory of the Cave”?
Who Are the Prisoners in “Allegory of the Cave”?
Can the Concept From Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave” Be Compared to the Ideas of Optical Illusion?
Who Are the People Chained in the Cave in Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave”?
How Do the Prisoners in Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave” React When They First See Sunlight?
How Is Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave” Relevant Today?
How Does the “Allegory of the Cave” Illustrate Plato’s View of the Physical World?
How Can We Find the “True Essence” of an Object According to Plato?
What Does the Sun Represent in “Allegory of the Cave”?
How Is the Human Soul Described in “Allegory of the Cave”?
What Are the Stages of the Liberated Prisoner’s Experience Outside the Cave in Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave”?
What Are the Symbolisms in “Allegory of the Cave”?
How Does the Allegory Describe the Process of Acquiring Knowledge in “Allegory of the Cave”?
What Does the Freed Prisoner Represent in the “Allegory of the Cave”?
What Are the Benefits of Using Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave”?
How Should the Process of Education Be Approached According to “Allegory of the Cave”?
Who Are the “Guardians” or Philosopher-Kings in “Allegory of the Cave”?
Why Should Philosopher-Kings Rule in “Allegory of the Cave”?
How Does Plato’s the “Allegory of the Cave” Relate to Science and Scientific Research?
Who Is Asking the Questions in the “Allegory of the Cave”?
What Does “Allegory of the Cave” Say About Truth?
How Does “Allegory of the Cave” Apply to Your Life?
What Does the Fire in the “Allegory of the Cave” Represent?
What Does Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave” Teach Us About Essential and Effective Freedom?
How Does the “Allegory of the Cave” Relate to Education?
What Do Shadows Represent in “Allegory of the Cave”?
What Is the Main Message of Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave” in Terms of the Origin and Quality of Knowledge?
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106 Allegory of the Cave Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

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Title: 106 Allegory of the Cave Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

Introduction:

Plato's Allegory of the Cave is a timeless philosophical concept that has captivated the minds of scholars and thinkers for centuries. This allegory presents a powerful metaphorical narrative, highlighting the distinction between the world of appearances and the realm of true knowledge. As a popular essay topic across various academic disciplines, exploring the Allegory of the Cave allows students to delve into profound philosophical inquiries. In this article, we present 106 essay topic ideas and examples related to the Allegory of the Cave, offering a diverse range of thought-provoking prompts to inspire critical thinking and analysis.

Analyzing the key elements of Plato's Allegory of the Cave.
Exploring the role of education in escaping the cave's confines.
Comparing Plato's Allegory of the Cave to other philosophical allegories.
The significance of shadows in the Allegory of the Cave.
Examining the relationship between knowledge and perception in the allegory.
Discussing the concept of enlightenment in Plato's Allegory of the Cave.
The impact of societal constraints on the prisoners in the cave.
The role of the philosopher in Plato's Allegory of the Cave.
Exploring the connection between truth and enlightenment in the allegory.
The limitations of sensory perception in the context of the cave.
The impact of individual experiences on the prisoners' understanding of reality.
Discussing the dangers faced by those who escape the cave.
The role of curiosity in prompting individuals to question their reality.
Comparing and contrasting the prisoners' reactions to the outside world.
The symbolic significance of the sun in Plato's Allegory of the Cave.
The allegory's implications for the pursuit of knowledge in modern society.
Analyzing the role of skepticism in the allegory and its relevance today.
The connection between the allegory and Plato's Theory of Forms.
Discussing the ethical implications of those who choose to remain in the cave.
The impact of cultural and societal influences on an individual's perception.
Exploring the allegory's message about the nature of reality.
The allegory's critique of the limitations of democracy.
Discussing the relationship between truth and power in the allegory.
The significance of the journey from darkness to light in the allegory.
Analyzing the psychological aspects of the prisoners' transformation.
The role of language in shaping our understanding of reality.
Exploring the connection between knowledge and freedom in the allegory.
The allegory's commentary on the role of the media in shaping perceptions.
The allegory's implications for contemporary educational systems.
Discussing the allegory's relevance to the concept of personal growth.
The allegory's message about the dangers of conformity and groupthink.
Analyzing the allegory's implications for the study of philosophy.
The allegory's commentary on the nature of human desires and aspirations.
The allegory's critique of materialism and consumer culture.
Discussing the allegory's implications for the field of psychology.
The role of empathy in understanding the allegory's message.
The allegory's connection to existentialist philosophy.
Analyzing the allegory's implications for political theory.
The allegory's critique of the limitations of empirical science.
Discussing the allegory's connection to Plato's concept of the divided line.
The allegory's commentary on the nature of truth and relativism.
Analyzing the allegory's portrayal of the human condition.
The allegory's implications for the study of perception and cognition.
The allegory's commentary on the role of faith and religion.
Discussing the allegory's implications for the field of art and aesthetics.
The allegory's connection to the concept of enlightenment in Eastern philosophies.
Analyzing the allegory's relevance to the study of ethics.
The allegory's commentary on the nature of time and temporality.
Discussing the allegory's implications for the study of social psychology.
The allegory's critique of the limitations of logical reasoning.
Analyzing the allegory's portrayal of the power of imagination and creativity.
The allegory's commentary on the nature of identity and self-discovery.
The allegory's implications for the study of cultural anthropology.
Discussing the allegory's connection to the concept of the unconscious mind.
The allegory's critique of the limitations of technological advancements.
Analyzing the allegory's portrayal of the nature of love and relationships.
The allegory's commentary on the nature of beauty and aesthetics.
The allegory's implications for the study of social justice and equality.
Discussing the allegory's connection to the concept of moral relativism.
The allegory's critique of the limitations of historical knowledge.
Analyzing the allegory's portrayal of the nature of power and authority.
The allegory's commentary on the role of emotions in shaping perceptions.
The allegory's implications for the study of cultural relativism.
Discussing the allegory's connection to the concept of personal identity.
The allegory's critique of the limitations of philosophical inquiry.
Analyzing the allegory's portrayal of the nature of language and communication.
The allegory's commentary on the role of intuition in acquiring knowledge.
The allegory's implications for the study of environmental ethics.
Discussing the allegory's connection to the concept of social constructionism.
The allegory's critique of the limitations of moral reasoning.
Analyzing the allegory's portrayal of the nature of memory and perception.
The allegory's commentary on the role of empathy in understanding others.
The allegory's implications for the study of postmodern philosophy.
Discussing the allegory's connection to the concept of existential dread.
The allegory's critique of the limitations of political ideologies.
Analyzing the allegory's portrayal of the nature of power dynamics.
The allegory's commentary on the role of intuition in moral decision-making.
The allegory's implications for the study of cultural imperialism.
Discussing the allegory's connection to the concept of social oppression.
The allegory's critique of the limitations of scientific objectivity.
Analyzing the allegory's portrayal of the nature of human potential.
The allegory's commentary on the role of empathy in social change.
The allegory's implications for the study of postcolonial theories.
Discussing the allegory's connection to the concept of epistemological skepticism.
The allegory's critique of the limitations of social constructs.
Analyzing the allegory's portrayal of the nature of societal norms.
The allegory's commentary on the role of compassion in ethical decision-making.
The allegory's implications for the study of feminist theories.
Discussing the allegory's connection to the concept of intersectionality.
The allegory's critique of the limitations of religious dogma.
Analyzing the allegory's portrayal of the nature of social movements.
The allegory's commentary on the role of intuition in artistic expression.
The allegory's implications for the study of critical race theory.
Discussing the allegory's connection to the concept of posthumanism.
The allegory's critique of the limitations of cultural relativism.
Analyzing the allegory's portrayal of the nature of political activism.
The allegory's commentary on the role of empathy in conflict resolution.
The allegory's implications for the study of queer theories.
Discussing the allegory's connection to the concept of post-truth society.
The allegory's critique of the limitations of gender binaries.
Analyzing the allegory's portrayal of the nature of social justice movements.
The allegory's commentary on the role of compassion in environmental ethics.
The allegory's implications for the study of disability studies.
Discussing the allegory's connection to the concept of postcolonial feminism.
The allegory's critique of the limitations of ableist perspectives.
Analyzing the allegory's portrayal of the nature of human interconnectedness.

Conclusion:

The Allegory of the Cave continues to captivate and inspire individuals across diverse fields of study. By exploring the numerous essay topic ideas and examples provided in this article, students can engage in thought-provoking discussions and critical analyses of Plato's allegory. These prompts invite readers to reflect on the nature of reality, knowledge, perception, and the power of enlightenment. Ultimately, the Allegory of the Cave serves as a timeless reminder to question our assumptions, seek truth, and strive for personal growth and understanding in an ever-changing world.

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A Summary and Analysis of Plato’s Allegory of the Cave

By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University)

Perhaps the most famous idea in all of Plato’s work is the Allegory of the Cave. This much-discussed (and much-misunderstood) story is a key part of Plato’s Republic , a work which has the claim to be the first ever literary utopia.

In The Republic , Plato and a number of other philosophers discuss the ideal society, focusing on education, political leadership, and the role and responsibility of the individual within society.

The Allegory of the Cave represents a number of the core ideas of Plato’s thinking in one short, accessible parable. But what is the meaning of this allegory? Before we offer an analysis of Plato’s idea, here’s a summary of what he says about it in The Republic .

Allegory of the Cave: summary

One of the key ideas on Plato’s Republic is his theory of forms, where ‘forms’ means much the same as ‘ideas’. And the Allegory of the Cave represents Plato’s approach to ideas.

We are invited to imagine a group of people sitting in an underground cave, facing the walls. They are chained up and they cannot move their heads. Behind them, a fire is forever burning, and its flames cast shadows onto the cave walls.

Between the fire and the cave walls, there is a road, and people walk along this road, carrying various objects: models of animals made of stone and wood, human statuettes, and other things. The people who walk along the road, and the objects they carry, cast shadows on the cave walls.

The people who are chained in the cave and facing the wall can only see the shadows of the people (and the objects they carry): never the actual people and objects walking past behind them. To the people chained up in the cave, these shadows appear to be reality, because they don’t know any better.

Reality, to these people chained in the cave, is only ever a copy of a copy: the shadows of the original forms which themselves remain beyond our view.

But someone comes and unchains the people in the cave. Now they’re free. Let’s say that one of them is set free and encouraged to look towards the fire behind him and his fellow cave-dwellers. He can now see that the things he took for reality until now were merely shadows on the wall.

But this knowledge isn’t, at first, a good thing. The revelation is almost overwhelming. The light of the fire hurts his eyes, and when he is dragged up the slope that leads out of the cave, and he sees the sun outside, and is overwhelmed by its light.

In time, however, he comes to accept that the sun is the true source of light in the world, the cause of the seasons and the annual cycle of things. And he would come to feel sorry for those who remain behind in the cave and are content to believe that the shadows on the cave wall are reality. Indeed, the people who remain behind in the cave believe he wasted his time in going outside and simply ruined his eyes for nothing.

But the man who has been outside knows there is no going back to his old beliefs: his perception of the world has changed forever. He cannot rejoin those prisoners who sit and watch the shadows on the wall. They, for their part, would resist his attempts to free them, and would sooner killer him than be led out of the cave, as he was.

And so if the man who has seen the sun returns to the cave, his eyes will take time to adjust back to the darkness of the cave and to the shadows on the wall. He will now be at a disadvantage to his fellow cave-dwellers, who have never left the cave and seen the light.

Allegory of the Cave: analysis

An allegory is a story that has a double meaning : as The Penguin Dictionary of Literary Terms and Literary Theory puts it, an allegory has a primary or surface meaning, but it also has a secondary or under-the-surface meaning. This is certainly true of Plato’s Allegory of the Cave. But what is its secondary meaning?

Although The Republic is classified as a work of philosophy, it is structured more like a dialogue or even a play (though not a dramatic one), in that it takes the form of a conversation between several philosophers: Socrates, Glaucon, Plato himself, and a number of other figures are all ‘characters’ in the Republic .

The Allegory of the Cave, as Plato’s comments indicate, is about the philosopher seeing beyond the material world and into the ‘intelligible’ one. The symbolism of the cave being underground is significant, for the philosopher’s journey is upwards towards higher things, including the sun: a symbol for the divine, but also for truth (those two things are often conflated in religions: Jesus, for example, referred to himself as ‘the way, the truth, and the life’ in John 14:6).

Plato insists, however, that the philosopher has a duty to return to the material world, to the world of the cave and its inhabitants (or prisoners ), and to try to open their eyes to the truth. It is no good leaving the cave behind. The philosopher must return down into the cave and face ridicule or even persecution for what he has to say: he has to be prepared for the unpleasant fact that most people, contented with their mental ‘chains’ and their limited view of the world, will actively turn on anyone who challenges their beliefs, no matter how wrong those beliefs are.

People come to love their chains, and being shown that everything you’ve believed is a lie will prove too much (as Plato acknowledges) for many people, and even, initially, for the philosopher. (It is curious how prophetic Plato was: his teacher and friend Socrates would indeed be ridiculed by Aristophanes in his play The Clouds , and later he would be put on trial, and sentenced to death, for his teachings.)

In other words, those people who have seen the ideal world, have a responsibility to educate those in the material world rather than keep their knowledge to themselves. So we can see how Plato’s Allegory of the Cave relates not only to the core ideas of The Republic , but also to Plato’s philosophy more broadly.

There are several further details to note about the symbolism present in the allegory. One detail which is often overlooked, but which is important to note, is the significance of those objects which the people on the road are carrying: they are, Plato tells us, human statuettes or animal models carved from wood or stone.

Why is this significant? These objects cast their shadows on the walls of the cave, and the people chained in the cave mistake the shadows for the real objects, because they don’t know anything different. But the objects themselves are copies of things rather than the original things themselves: statues of humans rather than real humans, and models of animals rather than the real thing.

So, as Robin Waterfield notes in his excellent notes to his translation of Plato’s Republic , the objects are ‘effigies’ of real things, or reflections of types . This means that the shadows on the wall are reflections of reflections of types, therefore. So (as Waterfield puts it) the shadows on the wall might represent, say, a kind of moral action, while the objects/statues/effigies themselves are a person’s thoughts on morality.

When these thoughts are observed in the material world (i.e., on the cave wall), we are observing a moral action somebody has taken, which is a reflection of some moral code or belief (the effigy that cast the shadow).

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Allegory of the Cave - Free Essay Samples And Topic Ideas

The Allegory of the Cave is a narrative by Plato, exploring the difference between the world of appearances and the world of reality through prisoners in a cave. Essays on this allegory might delve into its philosophical implications, its relevance through historical or modern contexts, or its influence on subsequent philosophical or literary works. This topic lends itself to a broad range of discussions from epistemology, metaphysics, to educational and political theory, exploring the human understanding of reality and enlightenment. We’ve gathered an extensive assortment of free essay samples on the topic of Allegory of the Cave you can find at PapersOwl Website. You can use our samples for inspiration to write your own essay, research paper, or just to explore a new topic for yourself.

“Allegory of the Cave”

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The Analysis of the Matrix Vs the Allegory of the Cave

Neo, from the movie The Matrix directed by Lana Wachowski, is a perfect example of an accidental hero. In the future, a hacker called Neo is contacted by a small group that explain reality as he knows is actually a computer program called the Matrix. Made by an AI, the Matrix hides the truth, allowing humans to live a convincing, simulated life as the machines grow and harvest the people for a source of energy. The leader of the group […]

Plato’s Cave Vs the Truman Show

"In Platos republic, the antiquated greek philosopher brings up numerous issues relating to the premise of human presence. Hundreds of years Later the Truman show raised comparable concerns, imagining Jim Carrey the films hero in a substitute reality. In this paper I will dissect and interpret the associations between philosophical contentions in the Truman show and the Allegory of the cave. There are numerous likenesses between the two particularly between physical and psychological reality just as the requirement for instinct […]

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Plato’s Allegory of the Cave

Introduction.

Imagine living in a dark place where everything you see is just a shadow, and your whole life you believe these shadows are the only real things. Well, this picture is part of a famous story called Plato ’s Allegory of the Cave. It’s a story that Plato, a great thinker from ancient Greece, wrote to help us understand the difference between what seems real to us and what is actually real. It’s not just a puzzle about truth, but it’s a kind of riddle that makes us think hard about what we know and what we don’t know.

Plato’s Allegory of the Cave comes from his writing called “The Republic,” which shows us how easily we can be fooled by fake things and how surprising the truth can be when we first learn about it. So, let’s explore this allegory, which isn’t just a story, but a deep lesson about life and the search for truth.

Definitions of the Topic

First Definition: Plato’s Allegory of the Cave is a symbolic story about people who are trapped inside a dark cave. These people have been there since they were born and are tied up so they can only look at the cave wall in front of them. Behind them is a fire, and between the fire and the prisoners, there are people holding up objects that cast shadows on the wall. The prisoners think these shadows are all that is real because they never saw the actual objects or the world outside the cave.

Second Definition: The allegory is also about what happens when one prisoner gets free and sees the real world for the first time. At first, it’s overwhelming and hard for him to understand, but as his eyes get used to the light, he starts to see how the shadows in the cave were just copies of the real things outside. When he goes back to the cave to tell the others, they don’t believe him. This part of the story shows us what it’s like to discover deeper truths about life and how tough it can be when others don’t understand or accept these truths.

Key Arguments

Perception is not reality: What we think we see and understand isn’t necessarily the truth. It might just be a shadow or an impression of the real thing, like the shadows on the cave wall are not real objects.
Ignorance blinds us: If you haven’t had a chance to learn or see something different, you don’t know what you’re missing. The prisoners in the cave don’t know there’s more to see because they’ve never seen the outside world.
Education is enlightening: Learning about new things can be like moving from a dark place into the light, where you can see everything more clearly. This is like the prisoner who escapes and learns about the real world.
Resistance to enlightenment: Sometimes when people learn new things that are different from what they always believed, they don’t want to accept it. This is like the prisoners who don’t believe the freed prisoner when he comes back to tell them about the outside world.
Responsibility to educate: When someone learns the truth, it’s like they have a job to teach others, even if it’s difficult or if people make fun of them. The freed prisoner felt that he had to go back and tell the others what he saw, even though they didn’t listen.

Answer or Resolution

Plato’s Allegory of the Cave isn’t about giving us a clear answer to a problem. Instead, it’s a way to make us think and question. The story ends with us thinking about our own journey to learn and become better. It’s about moving from what we know now, which might not be complete or true, to somewhere brighter where we understand more about ourselves and the world.

Major Criticism

Not everyone agrees with what the Allegory of the Cave tries to say. Some people think it tells us that only a few can really know the truth, which seems unfair. Others don’t believe there is just one true reality to find. And some people argue that it’s not enough to just think about big ideas; we also need to know things that help us in our everyday life, like science and practical skills.

Why It’s Important

This allegory is important because it helps us understand that it’s easy to accept simple answers and not look deeper. Realizing that there’s more to learn, even if it’s tough, is a huge part of growing and becoming wiser. It’s like having a map that shows there’s more beyond what we know.

For anyone, no matter their age, the allegory teaches a valuable lesson about being open-minded and always looking to learn. Instead of just taking things as they are, it encourages us to ask questions, seek the truth, and not be afraid to change our minds when we find new information. The cave is a symbolic place where we might be stuck, but learning and questioning can be the light that leads us out to a bigger and brighter world.

Practical Applications

Education: The allegory tells teachers and students that learning isn’t just about memorizing facts. It’s about thinking deeply and understanding big ideas. This helps students become better at solving problems and making decisions.
Psychology: It relates to how we grow and change in our thinking. As we have new experiences and learn more, our beliefs and thoughts can change, just like the prisoner’s did when he saw the outside world.
Political Philosophy : It warns us to be careful about how leaders and governments might try to trick us by controlling what we see and hear. People need to think critically about what they’re told, especially when it comes to making decisions about their community or country.
Media Studies: The allegory can explain how the media can present things in a way that isn’t always true to make people believe a certain point of view. This shows the need to look at different sources and think for ourselves instead of just believing everything we see on TV or online.

Plato’s Allegory of the Cave reminds us that there’s always a lot more to discover, about the world and about ourselves. It’s a story about what it means to really learn and understand, and it calls on us to never stop searching for what’s real and true.

Allegory Of The Cave

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Summary and Study Guide

Summary: "allegory of the cave".

Plato’s Republic takes the form of a series of dialogues between the first-person narrator ( Socrates , Plato's teacher) and various real-life figures. “The Allegory of the Cave ,” perhaps the most well-known section of The Republic , takes place as a conversation between Socrates and Plato’s brother, Glaucon . In this section, Socrates attempts to illustrate a point about how one can gain knowledge and wisdom and “perceive [...] the Essential Form of Goodness” (paragraph 31, line 10), via a parable .

He asks Glaucon to imagine a set of prisoners trapped in a cave since birth, shrouded in utter darkness , and chained so that they can neither move their bodies nor even their heads to look anywhere other than the wall in front of them, so that this wall is the only thing they know of life. Then, he asks Glaucon to imagine a fire lit behind them, with a sort of puppet stage in front of the fire, so that other people could project shadow figures onto the wall in front of the prisoners, recreating the forms of people and animals and objects from outside of the cave-prison in shadow form.

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Rhetorically, he asks if the prisoners would not then take these shadows as the only true objects in existence, since they could not understand that they were mere shadows of objects. The shadows would be the only thing they knew, and thus would be more real than true objects, which they had never seen. Glaucon agrees that they must think this way. Socrates then asks what would happen if one of these prisoners were freed and made to turn, finally, toward the light . He would necessarily “be too dazzled to make out the objects whose shadows he had been used to see” (paragraph 15, line 5), and would believe the shadows he has seen all his life to be more real than the objects and figures themselves. He also would find the sight of the fire itself painful and would instinctually turn away, back toward the familiar darkness.

Socrates then draws this freedom a step further, hypothetically bringing the prisoner outside of the cave into broad daylight, which would be even more confusing. Instead, he suggests, it would be better to accustom the prisoner slowly, by degrees, first viewing “shadows, and then the images of men and things reflected in water, and later on the things themselves” (paragraph 21, line 3). Finally, he could look at the sun and come to the conclusions that the sun is the main source of light in the world and affects the seasons, and other scientific extrapolations. Socrates concludes the parable by imagining the prisoner re-entering the cave: were he to do so, “his eyes would be filled with darkness” (paragraph 29, line 3), and the other prisoners would not believe him, would think him blind, and would even try to kill him if he tried to free them.

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The remainder of “The Allegory of the Cave” consists of Socrates’ explication of the preceding parable, while still in conversation with Glaucon. The darkness of the cave is like visual stimuli, the fire like the sun, and the outside world in the allegory corresponds to “the upward journey of the soul into the region of the intelligible” (paragraph 31, line 5). This, then, is the “world of knowledge,” and within that world, “the last thing to be perceived and only with great difficulty is the essential Form of Goodness ,” which corresponds to the wisdom necessary to govern (paragraph 31, line 9).

He continues, saying that the enlightened individual will then abhor ignorance and be unable to explain the justice he has seen through his wisdom to those who have never seen true justice, but only its shadow. He next explains that just as all the prisoners have eyes that could see the light of the outside world, so everyone has the capacity for gaining wisdom; it is merely a matter of training one’s gaze in the right direction, and coming to it gradually, by degrees.

Socrates then turns to the matter of rulers, saying that a good ruler can neither be ignorant of the “Form of Goodness,” nor can she or he remain solely in the enlightened state, divorced from the rest of unenlightened humanity, but instead has a responsibility to share that knowledge and attempt to enlighten their fellow citizens, for “the law is not concerned to make any one class especially happy, but to ensure the welfare of the commonwealth as a whole” (paragraph 47, line 1). Socrates ends the parable with the idea that good rulers must not only be wisebut must also find the act of ruling (descending from the plane of enlightenment ) to be something of a burden, since “access to power must not be confined to men who are in love with it” (paragraph 53, line 10).

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Plato’s Allegory of the Cave: the Journey Out of Ignorance

Author: Spencer Case Categories: Historical Philosophy , Philosophy of Education , Metaphysics , Epistemology, or Theory of Knowledge Word count: 998

Video below

Plato (428/427–348/347 B.C.E.) was an ancient Greek philosopher who wrote play-like dialogues, often using his late teacher, Socrates, as his mouthpiece.

Plato’s book The Republic is a dialogue about justice. It contains the “Allegory of the Cave”, a fanciful story that illustrates some of Plato’s ideas about education and the distinction between appearance and reality.

This essay introduces the Allegory and explains its meaning.

An image of a prisoner looking at shadows in the cave, illustrating part of Plato's "Allegory of the Cave."

1. The Story

In Republic Book VII, Socrates is talking with Plato’s brother, Glaucon. Socrates asks Glaucon to imagine a group of people held captive in a cave since childhood, chained so that they can’t move their heads and can only see the cave wall in front of them. A fire blazes behind them, and puppeteers on a platform cast shadows on the cave wall. The prisoners spend their time discussing these shadows and the echoes they hear, which they assume are noises made by the shadows. This is the only “reality” they know.

One day, a prisoner is released and made to walk out of the cave. The ascent is arduous. The light from the fire, and then from the mouth of the cave, hurts his eyes. It intensifies until he steps outside into the blinding sunlight. As his eyes adjust, the freed prisoner is gradually able to see the things around him—only shadows at first, then ordinary objects such as trees and rocks. The last thing he’s able to see clearly is the sun because it’s the brightest.

Now that the freed prisoner is outside, he wouldn’t return to captivity in the cave for anything. But he pities those still trapped there. So he decides to help them escape. Unfortunately, this story doesn’t have a happy ending. When he returns to the cave, the prisoners find his testimony unbelievable. Worse, his eyes aren’t used to the darkness, so he can’t see the shadows as well as he could before.

In time, his eyes would adjust and he’d understand the shadows better than any of the prisoners, since he’d seen the real things that cause the shadows. Still, in the prisoners’ eyes, he’s a fool. If he tried to release them, they’d kill him for his effort.

2. Interpretation

Socrates tells Glaucon that the prisoners are like us: most of us are ignorant. The journey out of the cave represents our journey from ignorance toward knowledge of what’s most real . The words “most real” might sound strange. We usually think that things are either real or unreal. But, for Plato, some things are more “real” than others.

Plato thinks that two kinds of things exist: changing things we perceive with our senses, i.e., physical objects, and unchanging forms we only “see” intellectually. Physical objects are imperfect imitations of the forms, like shadows. They derive their existence from the forms, and so the forms, for Plato, are more real than the objects.

To take a concrete example: horses are real, but the form of the horse , which we can think of as an ideal horse, is more real than any individual horse can be, since all horses derive their being from “participation” in it.

There’s also a hierarchy among the forms. The greatest form, the “Form of the Good”—the sun in the Allegory—is the ultimate source of all that exists. We can almost think of the Form of the Good as God except that it isn’t a person. [1] Philosophical knowledge, the highest form of knowledge, is knowledge of the forms, and above all, knowledge of the Form of the Good.

The Allegory tells us that education of the most noble sort— philosophical education—is a painful process for the few who can achieve it, at least in its early stages. For most people, philosophical knowledge will be out of reach. The masses don’t know their own ignorance and resent those who try to enlighten them. Undoubtedly, when Plato made Socrates say that some prisoners would even want to kill the freed companion trying to liberate them, he had in mind Socrates himself.

Socrates was famous in the Greek city-state of Athens for asking supposedly knowledgeable citizens hard questions about things like “knowledge” and “holiness.” These interrogations often exposed his interlocutors as being less knowledgeable than they claimed to be and made Socates some enemies. In 399 B.C.E., Athens executed Socrates by forcing him to drink hemlock, a poison, after a jury convicted him of “corrupting the youth” and failing to respect the gods. [2] Socrates insisted on his innocence but accepted his fate.

Athens was a democracy at the time of Socrates’ execution, and Plato thought that this tragic episode highlights the problem with democracy: the majority can’t be entrusted with power. Plato thought political power should instead be concentrated in the hands of an elite like Socrates—and, of course, himself—who were capable of philosophical knowledge. But this would only work in a city prepared for that kind of leadership.

3. Conclusion

The Allegory of the Cave encapsulates many important and distinctive ideas in Plato’s philosophy. However, elsewhere in his writings, Plato expresses ideas about education that don’t neatly square with the symbolism of the Allegory.

According to the Allegory, even the students who are capable of philosophy, whom the freed prisoner represents, are placed in a passive role, struggling against the teacher at every step. At least that’s true until they breach the surface, at which point they have philosophical knowledge. The contrast between teacher and student is very stark. The teacher knows what’s outside of the cave and the student doesn’t have an inkling, and can contribute little to the journey.

Elsewhere, Plato paints a different picture. [3] In some of his dialogues, Socrates claims not to know the answers to the questions he’s asking, and he views philosophical investigation as a cooperative exercise with his students. He’s open to the idea that his students might provide objections to his ideas, or raise ideas he hasn’t considered. Maybe this cooperative model is a better way to think about education.

[1] See Plato’s Form of the Good by Ryan Jenkins.

[2] See Plato’s Apology and Plato’s Crito: When Should We Break the Law? by Spencer Case.

[3] See Plato’s Meno 79d–80e. Socrates claims he is just as much in a state of aporia—meaning doubt or perplexity—as those he is trying to enlighten through philosophical conversation.

Plato. Apology . Translated by Benjamin Jowett. The Internet Classics Archive .

Plato. Meno. Translated by Benjamin Jowett. The Internet Classics Archive .

Plato . The Republic. T ranslated by Benjamin Jowett. Online. The Internet Classics Archive .

Related Essays

Plato’s Crito: When Should We Break the Law? by Spencer Case

Plato’s Form of the Good by Ryan Jenkins

Form and Matter: Hylomorphism by Jeremy W. Skrzypek

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About the Author

Spencer Case has a doctorate in philosophy from the University of Colorado Boulder, where he is currently a lecturer. He hosts Micro-Digressions: A Philosophy Podcast and does a lot of writing, academic and otherwise. SpencerCasePhilosophy.com

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“The Allegory of The Cave” by Plato

Introduction.

Bibliography

The importance of Plato’s allegory of the cave for consequential development of Western philosophical thought can hardly be underestimated, as it had laid a foundation for European metaphysics, as we know them. Therefore, it will not be an exaggeration on our part, to suggest that the very conceptual essence of idealistic perception of surrounding reality derives out of this particular Plato’s allegory.

Before we proceed with a detailed description of the allegory of the cave and its meaning, we will need to gain an insight into how ancient Greeks used to grade different forms of knowledge. In his book “Plato’s The Republic: Notes”, Charles Patterson provides us with such an insight: “The highest and best kind of knowledge is knowledge of Goodness itself; the second level of knowledge is of the other Forms. The first degree of belief is present when we see physical objects, trees, stones, etc. The second and lower kind of belief is our mental state when we see only shadows and images of physical objects” (Patterson 52).

In other words, ancient Greek philosophical thought was being largely concerned with discovering the true nature of objective reality as a “thing in itself”, which in its turn, points out at Plato, Socrates, and Aristotle as individuals who, for the first time in history, we’re able to conceptualize European psyche’s subconscious longing towards the “higher truth”, as such defines the existential essence of Western civilization. In the next part of this paper, we will describe Plato’s allegory of the cave and will also introduce readers to our interpretation of this allegory.

In Book VII of “The Republic”, Socrates engages in dialogue with Plato’s brother Glaucon, while trying to enlighten the latter onto the true essence of ontological knowledge, as an objective category. He presents Glaucon with the vision of the cave, which contains prisoners chained to the walls.

These prisoners had spent their whole lives inside of this cave ever since the time they were born, with only the link that was connecting them to the outside world being the shadows of people moving in front of the cave’s entrance, projected onto the wall in front of prisoners’ eyes: “Imagine human beings living in an underground den which is open towards the light; they have been there from childhood, having their necks and legs chained, and can only see into the den.

At a distance, there is a fire, and between the fire and the prisoners a raised way, and a low wall is built along the way, like the screen over which marionette players show their puppets” (Plato Book VII). Given the fact that prisoners have never been outside of this cave, the shadows of moving objects they are being exposed to and also the sounds, associated with these objects, is only the mean for prisoners to make judgments about realities of an outside world.

It is needless to say, of course, that prisoners’ idea as to what this world might be all about, has very little to do with the actual state of affairs. In the author’s mind, this scene serves as an allegory to how people perceive an objective reality – they often tend to think of this reality’s emanations as such that provide them with the full insight on reality’s actual essence, thus indulging in the fallacy of assumption.

Socrates proceeds further: “Suppose now that you suddenly turn them around and make them look with pain and grief to themselves at the real images; will they believe them to be real? Will, not their eyes are dazzled, and will they not try to get away from the light to something which they can behold without blinking?” (Plato Book VII). By saying it, he implies that our sensory perception of surrounding reality does not provide us with the full insight into this reality’s true essence, just as shadows inside of the cave do not provide prisoners with a comprehensible idea as to what the outside reality is.

After having established his argument’s conceptual premise, Socrates moves on to describe possible implications of a few prisoners being allowed to leave the cave: “Suppose now that you suddenly turn them around and make them look with pain and grief to themselves at the real images; will they believe them to be real? Will, not their eyes are dazzled, and will they not try to get away from the light to something which they can behold without blinking?” (Plato Book VII).

According to Socrates, upon being exposed to realities outside of the cave, prisoners’ worldview would be thoroughly shattered, because they would come to realize that their earlier judgments, as to the true nature of these realities, were utterly fallacious. In its turn, this would result in two consequences: freed prisoners experiencing utmost happiness over the fact that they had discovered a higher truth and the rest of the prisoners, who were never given a chance to look at the world outside of the cave, adopting a hostile attitude towards their more fortunate friends’ enlightenment: “But now imagine further, that they descend into their old habitations;—in that underground dwelling they will not see as well as their fellows, and will not be able to compete with them in the measurement of the shadows on the wall; there will be many jokes about the man who went on a visit to the sun and lost his eyes, and if they find anybody trying to set free and enlighten one of their numbers, they will put him to death” (Plato Book VII).

Therefore, the semantic meaning of this Plato’s allegory appears to be clear – people’s interaction with what they perceive as an objective reality cannot possibly provide them with insight into this reality’s true quintessence. In its turn, this implies that, for an individual to become enlightened, he or she must be continuously striving to broaden its intellectual horizons, as such as represents a pathway towards gaining a higher knowledge, because it is only the possession of such knowledge which qualifies an individual to experience intense happiness, unknown to those who prefer not to question reality’s emanations.

Moreover, it is namely enlightened people, who qualify to exercise political authority in society, simply because their mind is not being blurred with “shadowy” misconceptions: “He who attains to the beatific vision is always going upwards; he is unwilling to descend into political assemblies and courts of law; for his eyes are apt to blink at the images or shadows of images which they behold in them—he cannot enter into the ideas of those who have never in their lives understood the relation of the shadow to the substance” (Plato Book VII).

Thus, it will not be an exaggeration, on our part, to refer to Plato’s allegory of the cave as one of the most important philosophical insights, contained in “The Republic”, because of its clearly defined political implications.

According to Plato, it is only the caste of enlightened philosophers, which should be entitled to the right to exercise a political authority within a particular society, because of these philosophers’ deep understanding of the essence of socio-political dynamics and also because of their existential idealism, which should prompt philosopher-kings to spread the light of enlightenment among those who were never able to ascend to the “light” on their own: “We must choose out, therefore, the natures who are most likely to ascend to the light and knowledge of the good; but we must not allow them to remain in the region of light; they must be forced down again among the captives in the den to partake of their labors and honors” (Plato Book VII).

Therefore, we can only agree with Christopher M. Duncan and Peter J. Steinberger, who in their article “Plato’s Paradox? Guardians and Philosopher-Kings” point out at the allegory of the cave as a semiotic tool, utilized by Plato, to popularise his idea that ideal society can only exist under the rule of philosopher-kings: “Philosopher-kings are kings. They do not gravitate spontaneously to the cave but are compelled to return there; once there, they presumably propagate laws and policies explicitly and intentionally designed to ensure that empirical cities function as harmoniously as possible” (Duncan & Steinberger 1320).

Nevertheless, it would be wrong to suggest that Plato’s allegory of the cave is being solely concerned with the process of gaining objective knowledge and with the popularization of the idea of philosopher-kings; because this allegory also helps us to gain a better understanding as to what prompts people to seek “higher truth”, in the first place. It is not simply an accident that Socrates describes prisoners that have never been exposed to the light as being existentially stagnant, which in its turn, explains why they would become angry, upon being told that their ideas as to the essence of objective reality are nothing but an illusion.

People’s ability to ascend to the “light” is inheritably predetermined, and as such it has nothing to do with the environmental particularities of these people’s upbringing. As it appears from the allegory’s context, prisoners who remained inside of the cave, while others have been venturing outside, would never be willing to leave the cave, even if they were given such an opportunity. And the reason for this is simple – some people are simply incapable of taking an advantage of existential opportunities, for as long as they think of them as such that pose danger to the emotional comfort of living in the shadowy realm of a dark cave.

In other words, Plato’s allegory points out at metaphysical wrongness of an idea that an individual’s life represents an objective value in a priori : “And to our higher purpose no science can be better adapted; but it must be pursued in the spirit of a philosopher, not of a shopkeeper” (Plato Book VII). It is only intellectuals who should be allowed to rule, in the political context of this word, simply because it is namely these people who are being the least concerned about deriving emotional pleasure out of subjecting others to their authority: “It may be that the saint or philosopher who is best fitted, may also be the least inclined to rule, but necessity is laid upon him, and he must no longer live in the heaven of ideas. And this will be the salvation of the State” (Plato Book VII).

Thus, we can also say that Plato’s allegory of the cave provides us with insight into the conceptual fallaciousness of the idea that society can benefit from the rule of the majority, as it is being suggested by those who strongly believe in the ideals of Democracy.

In his article “Plato’s Doctrine of Freedom”, Robert Stanley suggests that Plato’s allegory of the cave directly relates to this philosopher’s strongly defined negative attitude towards the idea of political egalitarianism: “The democratic man is controlled by all his desires indiscriminately. True opinions and everything which makes for order and control is expelled from his soul” (Stanley 147). In the final part of this paper, we will discuss this particular Plato’s allegory as such that contains a clue as to the true essence of socio-political processes, as such that correspond to the notion of biological evolution.

As we have mentioned earlier, Plato’s allegory implies that the material objects of the physical realm only manifest a single aspect of their true identity. For the individual to gain a better knowledge of the physical realm’s particular manifestation, he needs to ascend to a higher existential level, which Plato associates with an individual’s decision to look straight at the sun (an allegory for becoming extremely open-minded).

By getting out of the cave and by looking straight at the sun, freed prisoners transform their very essence as individuals, which in its turn, allows them to attain a higher degree of existential complexity and; therefore, to increase their biological value.

Thus, we can suggest that Plato viewed prisoners who remained in captivity of cave’s shadows as representing the “dead link of evolution”. Just like trilobites, which did not evolve throughout millions and millions of years, while living in dark underwater caves, prisoners who stayed behind in the cave, are also very unlikely to progress, in the evolutionary sense of this word. Plato’s vision of the cave is nothing but a highly allegorized account for the notion of energetic entropy, and as such, it allows us to conclude that the notions of ancient Greek philosophy continue to remain scientifically valid even today.

Plato’s allegory of the cave can be interpreted as such that provides people with an answer to the classical philosophical question – what is the sense of life? Life is the process of organic substance resisting entropy by the mean of becoming eve-more complex. When applied to Homo Sapiens , this process accounts for people’s tendency to seek a higher state of consciousness, as they proceed with their lives. Therefore, it is only the form of political governing that corresponds to the laws of nature, which can be truly effective – this is the foremost message that is being promoted by Plato’s allegory of the cave.

According to Plato, the purpose of a state’s existence is not to provide citizens with “bread and entertainment” or with “security”, but to encourage them to attain higher levels of ontological awareness, by the mean of philosopher-kings being put in the position of sovereign rulers. It is needless to say, of course, that such Plato’s idea can hardly be tolerated today, when citizens in Western countries are being encouraged to “celebrate diversity”, at the expense of undergoing the process of physical and intellectual degradation.

Duncan, Christopher & Steinberger, Peter “Plato’s Paradox? Guardians and Philosopher-Kings”. The American Political Science Review, (84) 4, (1990): 1317-1322.

Gould, Thomas “Four Levels of Reality, in Plato, Spinoza, and Blake” Arion, (8)1, (1969): 20-50.

Patterson, Charles Plato’s The Republic: Notes. Lincoln: Neb John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1963.

Plato “The Republic”. 2001. The Project Gutenberg EBook. Web.

Stalley, Robert “Plato’s Doctrine of Freedom”. Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society, New Series. 98, (1998): 145-158.

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“The Allegory of The Cave” by Plato

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