FREE ESSAY ON PLATO - THE ALLEGORY OF THE CAVE

PLATO - THE ALLEGORY OF THE CAVE

1) Outline the Divided Line and tell the meaning of each division in terms of things that
exist and the degree of truth that is possible at each level. Use this to explain the
Allegory of the Cave.
Plato's Divided Line represents the visible (images and shadows) vs. the intelligible
(searching for answers). These theme of the tangible truth vs. perceived truth can be
found throughout the Allegory of the Cave.
THOUGHT - Too many people, in today's society live their lives with blinders on and look
at the world around them as if they were chained facing a wall. There is not enough
interest in helping one another to see ways to make this a better world. Much of society
does not see beyond the superficial fronts of other people or issues that face them. We
must work at releasing each other "from their bonds" and cure them "of their ignorance"
(515d) in order for us to find a solution to bettering our world.
IMAGINATION - The shadows that the prisoners of the cave looked upon represent the
perceived truth. When people do not have the knowledge to look beyond the visible truths
(the things one can see by merely taking a superficial look) they only have the capacity
to believe in shadows and do not even know how to begin the search for the intelligible
(real truths).
BELIEF - The campfire in the cave represents the power of the sun. The fire has the power
to illuminate the perceived truths of the cave. The fire illuminates what the prisoners
can see, therefore, showing them what to believe in. The sun in similar in that it
provides the light required to allow people to see with their eyes. 
UNDERSTANDING - The path outside the cave is steep, rocky and painful because all things
that were believed to be the truth and real are becoming unclear. Once the truth is known
(outside the cave) a person cannot go back to previous beliefs (as in the cave) (516e).
It is hard to see things in a different way from that which you have been conditioned to
know (515d). It is difficult to accept and understand new things. The life of the
individual is being changed as they are told all previous beliefs are inconsequential.
This is hard to accept.
It is possible to live outside the cave once your mind is open and you try to understand
the intelligible, not just the visible. You must try to understand the difference between
non-reality (shadows and images reflected in the water) and reality (the image itself).
When you permit yourself to see the good and rise above the cave you can live a full and
rewarding life outside the cave.
Living outside the cave is preferable to remaining in the dark because a greater
understanding of life and the world around us is possible. While living in the cave
prisoners only believe what they can see with their eyes. Outside the cave, people
believe what they can see and process intellectually. However, once outside the cave you
are compelled to return to the cave in an effort to teach the good about the world around
us and to share these experiences with the prisoners of the cave who have yet to see the
good. We must try to bind each other together (520a).
The ability to learn is in everyone. Education assumes the person possesses a certain
degree of knowledge and needs only to be pointed in the right direction to fully
understand the knowledge that is there. The direction the individual is pointed in can be
either good or bad. Education must address and teach the whole person, not just a part of
the person.