Plato's Allegory of the Cave

1. According to Socrates, what does the Allegory of the Cave represent?
The Allegory of the Cave represent imprisonment. The prisoners are limited because of the shackles. This represents that you are the ward to your own imprisonment. "Plato believes learning is remembering." In class discussions: Reincarnation, reconnecting to an idea.

2. What are the key elements in the imagery used in the allegory?
The key elements is the cave being a place of arrogance. Also, the shackles are limits/filters
The shadows feeds you images. You have to ask yourself if it's true. We have a hard time distinguishing between reality and fantasy.

3. What are some things the allegory suggests about the process of enlightenment or education?
The allegory suggests that learning has it's limits in the classroom. For example, the teachers usually tell us what to do, and we do it to get points. We find out what we need to know, and we don't go beyond that.

4. What do the imagery of "shackles" and the "cave" suggest about the perspective of the cave dwellers or prisoners?
The shackles represent limits, and the cave represents imprisonment. Cave dwellers and prisoners are restricted. They cannot go very far, so they are destined to fail when they are offered opportunities because they don't know how to survive.

5. In society today or in your own life, what sorts of things shackle the mind?
I believe anyone who doubts an individual from pursuing their dreams are shackles. This could be the internet, parents, teachers, anyone.

6. Compare the perspective of the freed prisoner with the cave prisoners?
"Freed prisoners have a sense of reality; they do not dwell of the shadows as the cave prisoners do. The freed prisoners know how the shadows are created and the reason behind it. They have more perspective of the outside world"

7. According to the allegory, lack of clarity or intellectual confusion can occur in two distinct ways or contexts. What are they?
"Confusion is when the freed prisoner comes up and tries to explain the reality that is real to the still tied up prisoners. This puts doubt in their mind of what to believe, the new guy or the reality they had faced their whole life" Clairy is blinded by the sun. When the man leaves the face, his eyes have to adjust to the darkness. His vision is blurred.

8. According to the allegory, how do cave prisoners get free? What does this suggest about intellectual freedom?
Freed prisoners told the prisoners in the cave there is more out there. The cave prisoners want to go out because they are curious about the unknown. They have the willingness to sneak out the truth.

9. The allegory presupposes that there is a distinction between appearances and reality. Do you agree? Why or why not?
I do agree that there is distinction between appearances and reality. When Katelyn explained this to me, she used the example of a dream, and what actually happened.

10. If Socrates is incorrect in his assumption that there is a distinction between reality and appearances, what are the two alternative metaphysical assumptions?
Reality is the truth. We manifest our thinking. Performative utterance. Reality is what you want to see.


I must give thanks to Sam Garrison's Youtube video, a website I found to help the understanding of the article (http://voices.yahoo.com/platos-allegory-cave-analysis-summary-25170.html) and the article itself (http://classics.mit.edu/Plato/republic.8.vii.html). The help from the students in period 3! & Also, my best friend, Katelyn helped me understand the Allegory of the Cave A LOT. Check her blog. http://kporrazrhsenglitcomp.blogspot.com/