1.1.3
Plato's Analogy of the Cave
Plato's Analogy of the Cave
Plato's Analogy of the Cave
The analogy of the cave shows the journey that the philosopher makes from illusion to reality – from ignorance to the world of Forms.
Prisoners chained to a wall
Prisoners chained to a wall
- A prisoner is chained alongside others facing a wall. Behind them is a fire and in front of that a raised wall, upon which objects are placed so that they cast their shadows onto the wall in front of the prisoners.
The prisoner's journey
The prisoner's journey
- One of the prisoners is freed. He sees the fire first, the objects and then he begins the difficult ascent out of the cave.
- When he gets outside and his eyes become accustomed to the light, he sees reflections of the moon and stars in the water. Then he sees them in the sky.
- Finally, he sees the sun. When he returns to free the prisoners from the cave and tell them of the outside world, they think he is mad and drive him away.
Allegorical meaning of the cave
Allegorical meaning of the cave
- The cave: the world of the senses
- The shadows on the wall: illusions – what we see and mistake for reality.
- The chains: ignorance.
- The fire: the sun.
- The objects on the wall: physical things.
Allegorical meaning of the cave
Allegorical meaning of the cave
- The difficult ascent: the dialectic – the process of arriving at truth.
- The reflections: the process of understanding.
- The moon and stars: the Forms of justice, beauty etc.
- The Sun: the Form of the Good.
1Philosophy of Religion
1.1Ancient Philosophical Influences: Plato
1.2Ancient Philosophical Influences: Aristotle
1.3Ancient Philosophical Influences: Soul, Mind, Body
1.4The Existence of God - Arguments from Observation
1.5The Existence of God - Arguments from Reason
1.6Religious Experience
1.7The Problem of Evil
1.8The Nature & Attributes of God
1.9Religious Language: Negative, Analogical, Symbolic
2Religion & Ethics
2.1Natural Law
2.2Situation Ethics
2.3Kantian Ethics
2.4Utilitarianism
2.5Euthanasia
3Developments in Christian Thought
3.1Saint Augustine's Teachings
3.2Death & the Afterlife
3.3Knowledge of God's Existence
3.4The Person of Jesus Christ
3.5Christian Moral Principles
3.6Christian Moral Action
3.7Development - Pluralism & Theology
3.8Development - Pluralism & Society
3.9Gender & Society
3.10Gender & Theology
Jump to other topics
1Philosophy of Religion
1.1Ancient Philosophical Influences: Plato
1.2Ancient Philosophical Influences: Aristotle
1.3Ancient Philosophical Influences: Soul, Mind, Body
1.4The Existence of God - Arguments from Observation
1.5The Existence of God - Arguments from Reason
1.6Religious Experience
1.7The Problem of Evil
1.8The Nature & Attributes of God
1.9Religious Language: Negative, Analogical, Symbolic
2Religion & Ethics
2.1Natural Law
2.2Situation Ethics
2.3Kantian Ethics
2.4Utilitarianism
2.5Euthanasia
3Developments in Christian Thought
3.1Saint Augustine's Teachings
3.2Death & the Afterlife
3.3Knowledge of God's Existence
3.4The Person of Jesus Christ
3.5Christian Moral Principles
3.6Christian Moral Action
3.7Development - Pluralism & Theology
3.8Development - Pluralism & Society
3.9Gender & Society
3.10Gender & Theology
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