Plato, a student of Socrates and a teacher of Aristotle, is mostly known for the Republic. In most of his writing, he doesn't just focus on our actions but also our understanding of what is true. Many of Plato’s philosophies contradict because they do not trust or believe Plato. Although, reading “The Allegory of the Cave” plenty of times, I feel I know the basics of his argument. I agree with Plato and his argument of the knowledge people who are in the ‘cave’ that gain what they know from what they see from the shadows and are ignorant to believe the truth.
One of the reasons for my perspective is in the real life when one hears a rumor and try to tell someone something, then they wouldn’t understand you, and end up thinking you are a lunatic. This has happened in my past that when my friend told me a rumor about myself, I didn’t believe him because I don’t think I would ever do what the action was. I didn’t know what to do or what to say. I couldn’t believe him. This supports my claim because although I was told the truth, I didn’t want to believe him, truly thought he lied to my face. But after awhile more, people started to tell me the same thing. I realized that he was telling the truth.
Additionally, in society today, when hit with the truth, people are scared and will not trust the person who told them. In “The Allegory of the Cave” when one prisoner escaped and found out about the real life and that all the shadows are real, when he came back and told the others, they thought he was crazy and didn’t believe him As said in the allegory, “compel the best minds to attain that knowledge which we have already shown to be the greatest of all,” this shows the prisoners believed the shadows and firmly believe that that was the truth. They thought they knew it all.
Finally, when one sees or hears something multiple of times, they automatically believe it and are in denial about either. They believe the surrounding world. Also, in the allegory the prisoners don’t believe the one that escapes because they haven’t encountered the life outside of the cave. But if they were able to go outside, they would realize the truth. “I think he would rather suffer anything than entertain these false notions and live in this miserable manner.” He is saying being trapped is like being “ a life full of lies and being told false information. But once you leave, you will not want to come back.”
In conclusion, I agree with Plato’s argument. I say this because I see it today in school, at home, and around me in this society. It is still relevant today and really looked down upon by many people.
One of the reasons for my perspective is in the real life when one hears a rumor and try to tell someone something, then they wouldn’t understand you, and end up thinking you are a lunatic. This has happened in my past that when my friend told me a rumor about myself, I didn’t believe him because I don’t think I would ever do what the action was. I didn’t know what to do or what to say. I couldn’t believe him. This supports my claim because although I was told the truth, I didn’t want to believe him, truly thought he lied to my face. But after awhile more, people started to tell me the same thing. I realized that he was telling the truth.
Additionally, in society today, when hit with the truth, people are scared and will not trust the person who told them. In “The Allegory of the Cave” when one prisoner escaped and found out about the real life and that all the shadows are real, when he came back and told the others, they thought he was crazy and didn’t believe him As said in the allegory, “compel the best minds to attain that knowledge which we have already shown to be the greatest of all,” this shows the prisoners believed the shadows and firmly believe that that was the truth. They thought they knew it all.
Finally, when one sees or hears something multiple of times, they automatically believe it and are in denial about either. They believe the surrounding world. Also, in the allegory the prisoners don’t believe the one that escapes because they haven’t encountered the life outside of the cave. But if they were able to go outside, they would realize the truth. “I think he would rather suffer anything than entertain these false notions and live in this miserable manner.” He is saying being trapped is like being “ a life full of lies and being told false information. But once you leave, you will not want to come back.”
In conclusion, I agree with Plato’s argument. I say this because I see it today in school, at home, and around me in this society. It is still relevant today and really looked down upon by many people.