ipl-logo

Objective Truth In Plato's Allegory Of The Cave

817 Words4 Pages

Truth is often a term that is taken into consideration when one is verbally speaking, but most find it rather difficult to truly define truth. While every person can attempt to uniquely give their own interpretation to what the world regards as truth, the realm of philosophy presents several brilliants ideas about the concept. In general, the study of philosophy recognizes two truths: objective and subjective. Objective truth can be described as truth that has always existed whether one knows it or not, while subjective truth is dependent on the person’s ideas and feelings towards a reality. Influential and well-known philosophers such as Mortimer J. Adler and Plato have contributed thoughts that often present similar ideas about the definition …show more content…

Plato tells of a group of prisoners held in a dark cave chained to the walls. These people have never stepped outside into the world and can only experience shadows that are displayed on the opposite side of the cave through the light outside of the cave. One of the slaves, now liberated steps outside of the cave and is able to experience reality, or what we can distinguish as objective truth. After returning to explain to the other what he has seen there seems to be quite a difference in opinions(Plato). In his article Plato’s Cave, T.F Morris attempts to dissect Plato’s allegory and explains his belief that “… the shadows on the wall of the cave correspond to what we call reality…(Morris 417)” As Adler previously stated objective truth exists whether or not the human being has experienced it, in this instance the forms that cast shadows while passing by the cave. It can be inferred that both Adler and Morris agree that the negative response of the remaining prisoners in the cave towards stepping out and experiencing reality is a subjective truth and depends on the opinion of each prisoner, thereby belonging to the sphere of taste. Plato is able to present a situation in which both objective and subjective truth can cause a rift in the relationships that human beings can …show more content…

Kemerling, Garth. Philosophical Dictionary: Tillich-Types, www.philosophypages.com/dy/t9.htm#truth.
2. Morris, T. F. "Plato 's Cave." South African Journal of Philosophy, vol. 28, no. 4, Nov. 2009, pp. 415-432. EBSCOhost, dcccd.idm.oclc.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=48656660&site=ehost-live.
3. Plato. “Plato 's Analogies of the Divided Line and Cave.” HCC Learning Web, Houston Community College, learning.hccs.edu/faculty/christina.hemati/phil1301/readings/plato-divided-line-sun-and-cave-analogy.
4. “The Pursuit of Truth.” Six Great Ideas, by Mortimer Jerome Adler, 1st ed., Simon & Schuster, 1997, pp. 56–63.
Accessed
1. Baghramian, Maria and Carter, J. Adam, "Relativism", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Summer 2017 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL = (-- removed HTML --) .
2. Mulhall, Stephen. "Nietzsche 's Style of Address: A Response to Christopher Janaway 's beyond Selflessness." European Journal of Philosophy, vol. 17, no. 1, Mar. 2009, pp. 121-131. EBSCOhost,

Show More
Related

  • The Allegory Of The Cave And Descartes Meditation

    504 Words  | 3 Pages

    Kristen Jakupak Epistemology Philosophy Paper October 5, 2015 Within Plato’s The Allegory of the Cave, and Descartes Meditation I, there are multiple similarities and differences in them. Reality is questionable within both of these stories. There is skepticism in them on whether they are truly living, and if it is real, or if it is controlled by something else entirely. In both stories, they also wanted to leave what they understood to be reality, to find what they thought and sensed to be the true reality.

    Read More

  • 's Cave Allegory, Euthyphro, And The Apology

    1170 Words  | 5 Pages

    Throughout the last five weeks, I have read three of Plato’s dialogues: the cave allegory, Euthyphro, and the Apology. While reading them, I was able to see Plato’s view of a philosophical life. To live philosophically is to question appearances and look at an issue/object from a new perspective. In this essay, I will explain Plato’s cave allegory, Socrates’ discussion with Euthyphro, and the oracle story in the Apology.

    Read More

  • Bullshit In Plato's Allegory Of The Cave

    1190 Words  | 5 Pages

    In Plato’s Allegory of the Cave, the prisoners had only shadows on the wall to look at since birth. Once a prisoner was released to the outside world, he soon found out that the shadows had only been a lie, that once the cave was lit up with light from the sun shining in, everything he once knew had changed and disappeared. This event leads the prisoner to face the question of whether should he go back to the cave to share what he knows about reality. I believe that he shouldn’t go back to the cave to share with the other prisoners what he knows because they haven’t learned the same way that he did, so they would believe the freed prisoner is bullshitting them. What is bullshit?

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast The Truman Show And The Allegory Of The Cave

    1373 Words  | 6 Pages

    In life, the world one lives in is always assumed to be the reality, without anyone questioning its credibility. As Iris Murdoch once said, “[People] live in a fantasy world, a world of illusion. The great task in life is to find reality. ”(Iris Murdoch Quotes). In The Allegory of the Cave by Plato, prisoners are trapped in a cave and chained so that they are to face a wall and only see the shadows of objects that pass behind them.

    Read More

  • Comparing Plato And Aristotle's View Of Changelessness In Different Cultures

    995 Words  | 4 Pages

    *** Born into an influential and wealthy family, Plato devoted his life to philosophy and the path to enlightenment. Plato believed in the rule by the few best, elitism, and in the superiority of philosophers. In order to illustrate the difference between the enlightened philosophers and the unenlightened wanderers, Plato devised the allegory of the cave. In this allegory, people are chained in a cave, forced to see only the shadow of objects passing by a flame. These unenlightened people actually believe that the shadows they see are the real objects.

    Read More

  • Analyzing Plato's 'The Allegory Of The Cave'

    773 Words  | 4 Pages

    Ap Language Summative Assesment Unit 1 Lamin Williams 9-12-16 4A Mrs. Archer In “ The Allegory of the Cave” 360 BCE, Plato emphasises that the cave explains human existence and envisions the world as a dark cave, and humans trapped as prisoners in that cave. Using symbolism he supports this statement by demonstrating to his students that our minds conceive the sources of shadows and the material world we live in as false truths. His purpose is directed towards his students, to help others out of the cave, to reveal the burden of false truths also know as the shadows. Plato uses a didactic tone to help his students understand and encourage them not to stay in the cave, but to free themselves and help others become free of the shadows the

    Read More

  • Human Nature In Plato's Allegory Of The Cave

    1159 Words  | 5 Pages

    In Plato’s Allegory of the Cave the people think that their entire reality is the shadows that they see on the walls of the cave. Plato explores the truth and criticizes that humanity does not question what is real. Plato explores that the human understanding and accepting of what is real is difficult and

    Read More

  • The Allegory Of The Cave In Plato's Republic Book VII

    595 Words  | 3 Pages

    Socrates’s allegory of the cave in Plato’s Republic Book VII is an accurate depiction of how people can be blinded by what they are only allowed to see. The allegory does have relevance to our modern world. In fact, all of us as a species are still in the “cave” no matter how intelligent or enlightened we think we have become. In Plato’s Republic Book VII, Socrates depicts the scenario in a cave where there are prisoners who are fixed only being able to look at the shadows on the wall which are projections of things passing between them and the light source.

    Read More

  • The Allegory Of The Cave

    264 Words  | 2 Pages

    In its simplest form, I believe that in the “Allegory of the Cave” Plato is trying to explain the difference between perception and true knowledge. It's not only an analogy about exposing what is behind the shadows when there is light. It's also about what happens when you finally do obtain this knowledge and then try to explain it those who have not been enlightened. The cave can represent a multitude of things: religion, government, life, a fixed perspective of the world, etc. Each of these provides context that shape humans views but also creates bias from which it’s hard to escape, especially as many “truths” are passed from generation to generation or taught in school.

    Read More

  • Plato's Allegory Of The Cave Modern Day Analysis

    606 Words  | 3 Pages

    #2 Plato’s Allegory In Modern Day Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave” is about the human perspective and enlightenment. In todays society Plato’s allegory is still relevant and is deeply rooted in education. College students are a perfect analogy for the “Allegory of the Cave”. We are told from the very beginning that we need to have an education to be successful in life.

    Read More

  • Searching For Truth In Plato's Allegory Of The Cave

    836 Words  | 4 Pages

    Searching for the truth is very challenging, as the world today entrenched in lies. Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave” briefly tells a story about cavemen being chained on most parts of their body, restring all movement including their head, since childhood. Then, he discussed the consequences inflicted onto the cavemen, specifically their perspective towards the truth after being chained for a long period of time in the dark cave, which resembles many events occurring in a person’s daily life. Based on the discussed effects, the author argues that human beings should always seek the real meaning of truth.

    Read More

  • The Nature Of Reality In Plato's Allegory Of The Cave

    728 Words  | 3 Pages

    Introduction Plato, a famous Greek philosopher wrote the Allegory of the Cave. He tried to answer some of the profound questions which arose about the nature of reality. He tells the story of 'Allegory of the Cave' as a conversation between his mentor, Socrates (Plato’s mentor), who inspired many of Plato's philosophical theories, and one of Socrates' students, Glaucon (Plato’s older brother). He uses an allegory as a short informative story, to illustrate 'forms' and the 'cave,' in his main work, The Republic (which first appeared around 380 BC). It is one of the most perceptive attempts to explain the nature of reality.

    Read More

  • Explanation Of Plato's Allegory Of The Cave

    513 Words  | 3 Pages

    Plato uses the “Allegory of the Cave” to try to give others a clear explanation of what it is like to be a philosopher. Several men are chained up in cave so that they cannot even turn their heads away from a wall, and they have been like this since their infancy. Because of a meticulous setup with a walkway and fire, the men see shadows of sculptures that men carry through the cave. Their entire life revolves around the shadows that dance on the wall in front of them; this is all they know. Suddenly, one prisoner is forced out of the cave and into the light.

    Read More

  • Plato's The Cave, Symbolize The World

    338 Words  | 2 Pages

    Plato “The Cave”, symbolize the world. Our world is the underground den and mentally were in a dark cave. There are humans trapped as prisoners and others chained up which can only see shadows. As stated in the reading, facing the truth at first is frightening and many run back which I do agree on. Some people are not ready to face reality and rather just mentally stay in a dark cave.

    Read More

  • The Difference Between Plato And The Allegory Of The Cave

    398 Words  | 2 Pages

    But once outside their eyes would get use to the light. The cave symbolises perception but not the truth or reality. In reference to the analogy of the sun, Plato discusses the difference between

    Read More

More about Objective Truth In Plato's Allegory Of The Cave

Open Document