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Human Perception In Plato's Allegory Of The Cave

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The ‘Allegory Of The Cave’ by Plato is a metaphor concerning human perception. Plato claimed that knowledge gained through the senses is nothing more than opinion and, in order obtain “real” knowledge, we must use philosophical reasoning to gain it. “The Allegory of the Cave”, begins by depicting a dark scene where prisoners have been chained and bound since infancy and their heads can only see the stonewall in from of them. Behind them are a fire that has burned continuously and a walkway that produces shadows from the people outside. The shadows that were cast onto the wall were seen and perceived as real objects. The prisoners played a guessing game as to what shadow would appear next and as a reward for being correct would gain praise.

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