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Plato's Allegory Of The Cave

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Plato's Allegory Of The Cave
In his allegory, the cave is a representation of the world humans live in and the sun a representation of the true world, the world of the forms. Plato, through this, shows that man will not be able to rush into understanding truth, but will first start with what is familiar, then move to seeing things in a different way, but not an uncomfortable way; then looking at a closer version of the truth, and finally having the ability to look directly at the truth and see the beauty in it. Plato claims that once a human has left the cave and discovered the beauty of the sun, they then have the duty to return to the cave and help others through the same process. Plato discussed that human beings could eventually free themselves and head upwards to …show more content…
Appetite is a desire for the world; although not real, Plato claims, the world is comfortable and familiar so the human soul craves to stay in the world. The Will is the part of the soul drawn to the World of the Forms. The Will recognises the truth and beauty represented by the Forms and strives to attain access to the perfect world. However, the human soul is being forced into two different directions, so there is a third part of the soul: Reason. Plato claims that reason is the guide for the soul, creating a balance between a desire for comfort and a desire for truth. Through philosophy, man can make reason allow the will to have a greater part in governing the soul, so that man can reach the Forms. Pico discusses the search for wisdom differently in his Orientation on the Dignity of Man. Pico claims that men were capable of learning from and imitating any existing creature. Pico claims that one can look at the Seraphim to “burn with the fire of charity” or the Cherubim to exemplify the “splendor of intelligence, and the Thrones which “stand firm with the firmness of justice” (Pico 398-399). When man philosophizes, he ascends the chain of being towards the angels, and communion with God. When he fails to exercise his intellect,
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