Allegory of the Cave

Tidewater Community College

Plato, "Allegory of the Cave"

History 111

By: Wanda Y. Jenkins

1/31/2014

The essence of the myth is a hypothetical script portrayed by Plato in the form of an enlightening conversation between Socrates and his brother, Glaucon (Buzzle 2). Who is Socrates? He was a Greek philosopher, born in Athens, Greece in 469-399 B.C. that is credited for laying the foundation of modern Western philosophy (Ancient Greece 1). According to the Ancientgreece.com, "he is known for creating Socratic irony and the Socratic method (elenchus). He is best recognized for inventing the teaching practice of pedagogy, wherein a teacher questions a student in a manner that draws out the correct response" (1). Socrates is still known as one of the wisest people of all time (Columbia 1). Glaucon was the older brother of philosopher Plato's that was born in Athens, Greece in 445-400 B.C. He was known for major conversation with Socrates in "The Republic". Plato was an ancient Greek philosopher, a mathematician, and a student of Socrates. He was born in Athens, Greece in 427-347 B.C. and started the first University known as the “Academy” (Docstoc 3). Plato is known best for his work in "The Republic" and in the "Theory of Forms" which feature "Allegory of The Cave" (3). He also helped set the philosophical foundation for the Western culture.

Plato uses the allegory of the cave to demonstrate the life and death of Socrates in which we perceive and believe in what is reality. He begins with the describing a dark cave where prisoners who have been forced to look straight ahead by having their legs and neck fastened. The prisoners are bound to the floor, so they cannot escape and can only see the wall in front of them. From a distance, a huge fire was burning above and behind the prisoners. There was a road-bridge behind the prisoners in which puppeteers were used to cast shadows on the wall. The prisoners perceived what they viewed...