Preview

Plato's Allegory Of The Cave: Modern-Day High School

Satisfactory Essays
Open Document
Open Document
183 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Plato's Allegory Of The Cave: Modern-Day High School
Plato's Allegory of the cave is a very old story that many people can relate to. People can relate to the prisoners close-mindedness or even the prisoners being locked up. One group of people who cannot relate is modern-day highschool students. Plato's ancient allegory of the cave is not relevant to modern-day high schoolers because the prisoners represent close-mindedness and the unability to learn. One reason why the Allegory of the Cave is not related to modern school is that in school the students can learn multiple subjects. For example, I can take multiple subjects and have the options to learn new things. While the prisoners cannot learn anything. The prisoners are lacking the option to explore and educate themselves. Secondly,
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Better Essays

    A Comparison and Contrast Exercise Between the "Allegory of the Cave" by Plato, "A Man for All Seasons" by Robert Bolt, and "An Enemy of the People" by Henrik Ibsen.
    • 1275 Words
    • 4 Pages

    A Comparison and Contrast Exercise Between the "Allegory of the Cave" by Plato, "A Man for All Seasons" by Robert Bolt, and "An Enemy of the People" by Henrik Ibsen.

    The Allegory of the Cave is about a group of people who have lived in a cave since their childhood. These people not only live in this cave, but they are also chained and made to face a blank wall. Even their heads are shackled such that they cannot look behind them or at the sides. On the blank wall in front of them, a fire that is behind them projects shadows of objects that are passing behind them. When one of them is released to the outside world, the people who remain in the cave do not believe the version of the story concerning the reality of the shadows they have spent the whole of their lives watching and analyzing.…

    • 1275 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Comparing Plato And Socrates 'Allegory Of The Cave'
    • 423 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Comparing Plato And Socrates 'Allegory Of The Cave'

    Allegory of the cave is written as a dialogue between Plato’s brother Glaucon and Socrates. It tells the story of human beings living in a cave. They have been there since they were little. Unfortunately, this is not a normal kind of life we would think of. These people were all sitting on the ground, tied in chains. Their necks, their legs, were all fettered, and they were only able to see what was right in front of them. They could not move their heads. Far above them there was a fire. Also, between them and the fire a wall was built, above which the puppets were shown. The only thing those people were able to see was the shadow of those puppets and they mistakenly thought that this shadow was actually the reality.…

    • 423 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Analysis Of Plato's Allegory Of The Cave
    • 264 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Analysis Of Plato's Allegory Of The Cave

    In studying all of the symbolism included, it becomes apparent that the Allegory of the Cave is a representation of the philosopher’s place in society, and the other prisoners reaction to the escaped prisoner returning is representing the reaction people have of philosophers, and becoming aware of the truth philosophers hold. The Allegory of the Cave illustrates book 5 and 6 for us by showing the effect education has on the human soul, and how education helps us move through the different parts of the divided line, then will eventually take him to the form of the…

    • 264 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    What Is Plato's Allegory Of The Cave
    • 405 Words
    • 2 Pages

    What Is Plato's Allegory Of The Cave

    In Plato's Allegory of the Cave there were multiple beliefs brought upon by the prisoners of this cave. The prisoners of the cave are supposed to parallel everyday people in the sense of how reality is perceived. The prisoners of the cave believed and only knew that reality of the shadows and developed their own belief structure and way of processing that information. Plato connected that to everyday people due to the fact that although we strongly believe the reality we have made for ourselves, there can be more that we have never been exposed to. For example, when one of the prisoners were unchained and brought out of the cave into the world, he was overwhelmed and wanted to tell the other prisoners. Due to the fact that other prisoners could…

    • 405 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    An Analysis of Plato’s Allegory of the Cave
    • 591 Words
    • 2 Pages

    An Analysis of Plato’s Allegory of the Cave

    Initially, I would say that Plato’s Allegory of the Cave doesn’t tell us anything about reality, and by doing so I would have to agree with the statement. My reasoning for this is straightforward and simple, Plato implies that the senses are completely useless, and by doing so he also implies that empiricist ways are also useless for they rely solely upon the senses. This shows to us that the Plato’s allegory cannot tell us anything about reality as we have survived for millions of years by using empiricist techniques, or more specifically the senses. It would simply be impossible for us to live without them. These senses are sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch, and Plato claims that in order to understand reality we mustn’t use them, instead relying on rationalist techniques like logic and reason, this, in some circumstances couldn’t tell us a thing about reality. An example of this would be that we cannot gain all of our knowledge through thinking alone. For example, I could think of a fruit like an apple or banana and I could think of what it would possibly taste like, however, you wouldn’t be able to imagine the taste, this simply isn’t possible. We couldn’t just think that bananas or apples taste delicious because we don’t actually know how they would taste without actually eating it, and if we were to do this we would have to rely on the sense of taste, an empiricist sense, this clearly shows how the Analogy of the Cave cannot possibly tell us anything about reality as humanity relies on empiricism for the most basic of tasks as my example above clearly shows.…

    • 591 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Allegory Of The Cave Rhetorical Analysis Essay
    • 663 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Allegory Of The Cave Rhetorical Analysis Essay

    The Allegory of the Cave is a good example of explaining the feature of the way people think. It is a concept that demonstrates how humans are fearful of change and what they don’t know. Plato explains the men living in an underground cave and their situation. The Allegory of the Cave is Plato's explanation of the education of the soul toward enlightenment. Plato employs many rhetorical techniques, social commentary and modes of persuasion to assist in the reader's understanding,These include different uses of rhetorical devices some include hyperbole, metaphor, simile, allusion, parallelism and imagery.…

    • 663 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Allegory Of The Cave In Plato's Republic
    • 1443 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Allegory Of The Cave In Plato's Republic

    The journey that “prisoners” of that cave take is in the ultimate goal to attain knowledge of the abstract world. By doing so, the few who left this place establish themselves above the slaves that are still living within the depths of the cave(521, a). The interesting part of this allegory is that it shows that this cave has an entrance and hence shows the possibility there is a light out of the tunnel and be able to reach the enlightened state. Plato clearly explains the difference between the people that are left behind the cave and those who ventured out on their journey to discover the universal truth: “…the author of light and itself in the intelligible world being the authentic source of truth and reason” (517, c). All of this is especially relevant in Plato’s thinking. He specifies in his Republic only a few will manage the reach the status of Philosopher-King and hence grasp the universal truth. It is up for the Guardian class to accomplish such a task through hardships and tough education throughout their lives to prepare them for this difficult task. It also justifies his vision that not all men are born with equal status and therefore the Noble lie. With this allegory, he is able to show the Noble Lie idea and firmly affirms that not all men can become “gold” and that only a few will manage to endure the hardships of the light and become the philosopher-king. One who chooses such a path hence refuses to live his life in ignorance and by doing so, forgets the past: “Would he not find his eyes so dazzled by the glare as to be incapable of making out so much as one of the objects that are now called true” (516, a) It is the existentialist value that men have responsible for their own self community and in…

    • 1443 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Analyzing Plato's 'The Allegory Of The Cave'
    • 510 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Analyzing Plato's 'The Allegory Of The Cave'

    The Allegory of the Cave is a story that was written down by Plato, and told by Socrates many, many years ago. It tells of a cave containing prisoners who have been there since they were very young. Behind them is a fire that is burning, and between the fire and the prisoners is a road with a curtain-wall. Behind this curtain-wall are figures of wood and stone, including animals and men. Socrates asks if they had some form of freedom, such as being able to talk, or even being freed. Would they understand and be able to handle the outside world? To me, The Allegory of the Cave illustrates the fact that people sometimes do not understand reality for what it is.…

    • 510 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Plato's Allegory Of The Cave
    • 1287 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Plato's Allegory Of The Cave

    Allegory of the Cave is a dialog between Socrates and Gloucon in The Republic written by Plato. Plato’s Allegory of the Cave, Socrates depicts a long, dark cave with a small opening that allows a small amount of light to enter. Inside the cave there group of prisoners, who have been in the cave for their entire lives. The prisoners legs and necks are chained to the cave floor so they are unable to move and can only look forward at the cave wall. At the back of the cave there is a fire that they are never able to view. In between the prisoners and the fire there is a low wall with a path behind it, along which people carry pictures, puppets, and statues. These pictures, puppets and statues are all the prisoners are able to see, and the echoes of the puppeteers when they speak are all they are able to hear. Although the prisoners are chained they are still content because all they have ever known are the shadows. None of them have ever seen anything beyond the cave and have no desire to do so. However one prisoner wakes up to find that he is no longer chained to the floor, and is able to leave the cave. Once the prisoner is outside he realizes that the shadows are not real. The prisoner then decides to return to the cave, to free the other prisoners, however reentering the cave would make his eyes have to…

    • 1287 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Platos Allegory off the Cave
    • 416 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Platos Allegory off the Cave

    The allegory of the cave applies to the way we live today as we are like the prisoners in the way that we pay attention to what we are being told in the news and on the T.V and we believe that the things we see are what life is like despite the fact that we are only being shown the things that the people in the media want us to see. Most people accept what they are being shown and believe that it is reality and accept it as the reality as that is the way they have lived for ages, like the prisoners in the cave who chose to ignore the escaped prisoner when he told them about the actual reality.…

    • 416 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Plato's Allegory of the Cave
    • 564 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Plato's Allegory of the Cave

    The great philosopher, Plato, back in the days of the ancient Greek civilization, concluded that man as a species can only draw from what his senses take about his surroundings. This includes his social relationships, eating habits, spiritual beliefs, and the many other attributes that make a person who they are. This theory/observation is very accurate about man back then and is also seen in everyday life even today. People are constantly leaving their imaginary caves in search of their inner-self and it begins in early childhood.…

    • 564 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Analysis Of Allegory Of The Cave
    • 505 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Analysis Of Allegory Of The Cave

    The Allegory of the Cave by Plato questions truth, reality, and demonstrates how we are similar to the prisoners within the cave. Every person has a personal “cave” and only with knowledge and understanding can we escape from the captivity ignorance.…

    • 505 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Malcolm X
    • 1522 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Malcolm X

    The "Allegory of the Cave" by Plato represents an extended metaphor that is to contrast the way in which we perceive and believe in what is reality. The thesis behind his allegory is the basic tenets that all we perceive are imperfect "reflections" of the ultimate Forms, which subsequently represent truth and reality. In his story, Plato establishes a cave in which prisoners are chained down and forced to look upon the front wall of the cave. He starts with: “Behold! Human beings living in an underground cave, which has a mouth open towards the light and reaching all along the cave; 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. Above and behind them a fire is blazing at a distance, and between the fire and the prisoners there is a raised way; and you will see, if you look, a low wall built along the way, like the screen which marionette players have in front of them, over which they show the puppets”.…

    • 1522 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Allegory Of The Cave Education
    • 556 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Allegory Of The Cave Education

    The reflection makes the prisoners to accept what they see is reality. the relationship between the prisoners looking at the wall and the students is students will accept what they are taught by their parents or the teachers in the learning process. At the same time, Socrates also describes, “All in all those who were chained would consider nothing besides the shadows of the artifacts as the unhidden” (18). Students will not step out of the box to think more about what they’ve just learned. They will take the information on what they see and hear as the reality without putting extra efforts on analyzing the information they got. They blocked themselves from understanding the true nature of education. What they’ve learned is just an illusion which is similar to the prisoners accepting what they seen on the wall as reality. Comparing the modern life of people with the prisoners, they have limited ability and subject to live in what they should. In conclusion, information they gained are subjective and comprehensive which makes the prisoners and students have limited insight about the real…

    • 556 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Allegory of the Cave
    • 1003 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Allegory of the Cave

    The cave represents the people who believe that knowledge comes from what we see and hear in the world.The prisoners represent an ignorant, unenlightened, and narrow society. This would comprise of those who have not yet understood the meaning of life.The prisoners are without sun, without a higher understanding, and have limited understanding.Those who are chained represent all human beings who have been forced to think in one particular way; The chains are symbolic of limitations that pull us away from the truth. These chains permit the prisoners only to see shadows replicated by a fire behind them. These chained prisoners are restricted to only what the fire allows them to see – their own perceptions. Because the prisoners cannot see what or who is behind them, they accept those shadows as reality.Their full understanding arises only when the shackles are unbound and can comprehend clearly. The cave shadows are ambiguous and unclear, distorted, without any true form. Plato successfully utilizes the shadows to demonstrate those who cannot see an accurate, clear reality. The prisoners are seeing the shadows as a reality of the visible world, yet their reality are flawed and not the true form. The shadows symbolize what we observe with our senses, and not with our mental understandings – they may well be misrepresentations but we are incapable of…

    • 1003 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More

Related Topics