Tuesday, September 17, 2019
Plato's Cave
Plato argues that most of us are like prisoners in a cave who are bound in such a way that we can only see shadows of objects projected on a wall. Not only can we not see the objects that cast the shadows, we cannot even see the objects outside of the cave. A more modern analogy might have the prisoner's watching a movie or perhaps "plugged in" to a virtual reality program. What is Plato claiming about the ordinary person? What is our epistemic state? Do we have any hope in escaping? And most importantly, is Plato correct? In short, what is your interpretation of Plato's allegory of the cave and is the allegory the correct way to view the human quest for knowledge?
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Plato’s allegory of the cave claims that a human being’s natural state is ignorance. We are prisoners in our own false realities and often refuse to leave, either for fear of the unknown or because we are convinced that our false reality is a true reality. Plato also believes that only a true philosopher, or an enlightened individual, would not only be able to leave the cave, but return and try to free the other stubborn prisoners out of their sad existence. I believe that Plato is largely correct in his allegory of the cave. Human beings often get stuck in their ways and are convinced that their opinions are the truth when they in fact might not be. A prime example of this are racist, homophobic, misogynistic, ablest, and classist views exhibited by people who have no idea what it’s like to be non-white, in the LGBT community, female, disabled, and/or poor. Their views on how these people live or who they are resemble the shadows on the wall of the cave that Plato referred to. They are not just shadows of the truth, but shadows cast by a cruel imitation of the truth. Despite this, many people are not willing to let go of their opinions, whatever those opinions may be, even if they are confronted with conflicting evidence- that is, if a philosopher runs back into the cave and tells them that there is a whole other world, a more real world, to discover. However, I do not believe that this allegory is as black-and-white as Plato claims. People have different strengths, education, and experiences that may give them more truth in one area than another. In the context of Plato’s allegory, a prisoner might very well be able to recognize shadows on the wall relating to animals as what they truly are- a dog, a horse, etc.- while the other prisoners do not quite understand what these shapes mean. Nevertheless, this particular prisoner might be just as in the dark when the shadow of a flower appears on the wall as the other prisoners are about animals. However, the way that Plato paints it, if one is ignorant in one area of expertise, one is ignorant in them all. I do not believe that to be the case. Knowledge is wide and far encompassing. Some people will be closer to the truth in some areas than others, or will learn how to be closer to the truth over time through education and experience.
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ReplyDeletePlato's Cave analogy embodies a harsh reality about humans. Plato indirectly compares our lives to prisoners in his cave allegory. The prisoners in the metaphorical cave are chained down and unable to move their bodies. Behind the prisoners are puppeteers who move puppets in front of a bright fire. The prisoners are unable to see anything except the shadows cast on the wall in front of them. The prisoners have experienced the shadows their entire lives, leaving them to believe the shadows is all life has to offer. Plato's allegory of the prisoners can relate to our world now. Humans are the prisoners, strapped down in the caves we know to be our lives. People carry through each day, repeatedly completing the same actions, seeing the same people and visiting the same places. For example, if a person went to a grocery store where the grocer carried the same items and the person purchased the exact same items each time they shopped, that person would never know the abundance of products at other stores. They would never know the variety of products such a fruits, drinks and vegetables the other grocery stores sell. This would deny the person from experiencing pleasure in other items, not found at the store where they currently shop. Similarly, the prisoners are forced to watch the shadows of the same puppets, moving in the same places and doing the same things. Although our individual lives our mundane, our world is large and exciting. If the prisoners break out of the cave, they would experience a much different and diverse lifestyle with many different choices and opportunities in the world outside the cave. If we were to break out of our habitual cycles, we could experience a new world, just as the prisoners would if they were set free. Plato’s depictions of our natural human lifestyle is correct. People tend to live ignorantly, inadvertently excluding any chances of experiencing a world beyond our own. By doing so, the quest for knowledge cannot begin because there would not be anything to fuel the interest. Through the exploration of an expanded world, we can expand our knowledge and look beyond the wall of shadows.
ReplyDeletePlato's allegory of the cave claims that the ordinary person is unable to understand that reality might hold something more than a "puppet show" of extremely limited knowledge governed by a handful of objects. They do not know anything but the shadows on the walls of the cave, (which is their entire reality) and hence most likely cannot comprehend that there is a different world outside of the cave. He claims the only hope we have in escaping are the few enlightened people who can ask if there's anything more than this, slowly free themselves, and then come back to the cave to try and free others. These people, Plato claims, are the true philosophers. I agree with Plato in that the natural human state is ignorance, as no one is born with unlimited knowledge of the universe. However, Plato's allegory of the cave implies that humans are complacent in their ignorance and do not seek anything more than the world around them. Most people are constantly learning and growing, and asking questions about their world even if they think they already know everything. For instance, if you have been tied up all of your life like the people in the cave, eventually a question will be raised as to whether or not you could free yourself. It could be basic childlike curiosity of what the thing is keeping your hands together or how to best scratch an itch, but eventually something will make you wonder. A better way to interpret the allegory of the cave may be that philosophers are not fighting to enlighten the everyday person, but instead trying to guide them. If we think of the elements of the cave as a fluid journey on our quest for knowledge, (all the elements remain the same, however the people are not stuck or complacent, and are actively learning about the things around them like the things casting the shadows, the fire, the wall, etc.) it better represents the human experience. The people trapped in the cave are like kids, ignorant to what’s outside of their immediate vicinity until their parents (philosophers in this example) are able to teach and guide them.
ReplyDeletePlato’s Allegory of the Cave claims that most people live in ignorance, blind to the truth, and believe in false realities. In further detail of this cave: it is large and cavernous, engulfed with darkness with people that have been chained to a far wall since birth. They are locked in place and can only look onto a blank wall in front of them. The only source of light emits from a fire behind them near the entrance to the cave, and in front of that, is a raised pathway where people outside of the cave walk past and carry a variety of different objects. These objects create shadows on the far wall where the prisoner look onto, creating many different shapes of shadows. Since these shadows are the only things that the prisoners have seen their entire lives, naturally, they believe that those shapes are true form of physical objects. However, logically, the literal objects that cast the shadows would actually be the true forms according to Plato. Next, he explains how most people are just like the prisoners in the cave, trapped in a false life, unable to obtain true reality. He also argues that the only people that have the ability release those living in ignorance (prisoners) are philosophers (people outside of the cave) because philosophers are seekers of truth and knowledge. A counter-argument here is that reality to one person may not be the same as reality to another person. Plato does not take into his claim that reality is completely subjective. If this is true, who are philosophers to tell someone that their state of knowledge is false? It is quite possible that everyone, whether they claim to have knowledge (philosophers) or not, know nothing at all and that true knowledge is unattainable, simply because of its massive complicity. The allegation that only philosophers are knowledgeable, and capable of saving those who are “ignorant” is completely paradoxical, therefore, in conclusion, Plato’s argument is not complete, and is in need of further explanation.
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