(with subtle hints from the Matrix) The Allegory of the Cave

About the author…. Plato was: A Greek philosopher and mathematician. Student (or follower) of Socrates Lived from 424/423 B.C – 348/347 B.C Born into a wealthy family. Founder of “the Academy” in Athens Greece. Helped create a foundation for science and philosophy today. One of his most famous topics: rhetoric (which is associated more with Aristotle).

Plato’s Philosophy Plato, simply stated, believed that universal ideas of things – like justice, beauty, truth – had an objective existence of their own. Dog – Doggedness Cat – Catniss Tree - Treeness

But Mister…what does that mean? What this means is that these things existed whether men perceived (understood) them or not. They had an independent reality which Plato believed men could come to grasp as knowledge.

Example?

Reality vs. Non-Reality Plato believed that our senses are deceptive and what we experience in our daily lives is not reality but the shadow of reality. This is one of the main messages in Plato’s Allegory of the Cave.

Reality vs. Non-Reality continued So how does this relate to the stories we’ve been reading? Can anyone think of another movie or book that could relate to these concepts?

Socrates -> Plato -> Aristotle One of the first philosophers was Aristotle ( B.C.). In fact, it’s safe to say that it was Aristotle who made this concept of reality more widely known. Aristotle was the teacher of Alexander the Great. Aristotle had also been the pupil of Plato (c B.C) who was, in turn, the student of Socrates.

Plato vs. Aristotle For 2000 years, philosophers had to choose between Aristotle’s beliefs and what Plato believed. It is safe to say that Aristotle was Plato’s first critic.

Empiricism Is the belief that all knowledge is derived from sense experience. What does this mean? – If we pass by the pig farm and we end up naturally wrinkling our noses in disgust, subsequently, it must smell bad. The opposite of this thinking is rationalism. – Based off of reason.

The Allegory of the Cave

Allegory of the cave Chains People are born into chains. (Very similar to other philosophers) Someone escapes and “sees” reality. When that person returns, are they the same? Plato also related this to his politics as well.

How is the Matrix like the Allegory of the Cave? In the matrix, a world which is not at all what it seems, People refuse to accept the truth, the truth being that they are in a controlled world where nothing is real. Plato argues that life is ironic because in our quest to find "truth" all we see is shadows... Shadows being us.

How is the Matrix like the Allegory of the Cave? The puppeteers, who are behind the prisoners, hold up puppets that cast shadows on the wall of the cave. The prisoners are unable to see these puppets, the real objects, that pass behind them. What the prisoners see and hear are shadows and echoes cast by objects that they do not see.

Lets say the man from the chains, in the cave, would be freed. How would he acclimate to the area outside of the cave? If the person would return to the place where they were originally chained up, after escaping, they would not necessarily remember their old home as it once was. Also, the people he once knew would find him ridiculous. How is the Matrix like the Allegory of the Cave?

How does this relate to utopias? Difference between a utopia and a dystopia In dystopian fiction, the protagonist is often made to believe they live in a utopian society, whereas the protagonist later realizes it is the exact opposite. In a way, they are “set free.” Although Plato’s “Republic” is related to a different scenario, it’s concepts are easily relatable to the idea of utopias and dystopias.

Questions?

Quiz  1. Put the famous philosophers in order of who came when.  2. Who was Plato’s first critic?  3. Describe rationalism.  4. Name two movies or books that are similar to the “Allegory of the Cave”.  5. Why is Plato’s allegory important?

Quiz  6. Name one element or aspect that you remember from the Allegory.  7. What was Plato’s school called?  8. True or false: Plato hated art  9. True or false: Aristotle taught Alexander the Great  10. True or false: The Allegory relates to politics really well.