Platos real name was Aristocles, son of Ariston. It is a Greek name that means wide or broad. He could have attained the name because of the nature of his forehead or because of his extensive knowledge. His mother was called Perictione, and his father was Ariston.
Most people believe that his birth occurred between 424 and 423 or 428 and 427 B.C.E. He was a philosopher and a mathematician in classical Greece. He contributed significantly to the introduction of Western education and science (Barrow 120-180).
Due to the wealth and political influence of his family, his father gave him the best education. He learnt gymnastics, music, and philosophy. He went to receive teachings from some of the best teachers.
He was a brilliant boy in his class. He attended philosophy classes and happened to meet Cratylus. Another great influence, especially in mathematics, came from Pythagoras. He learnt some of his philosophical ideas about the soul from him.
He started the first university of Philosophy in Greece called Academus. Many intellectuals, including Aristotle, became his students (Herman 250-300).
In his later life, Plato spent much of his time in Syracuse. He taught Philosophy to Dion of Syracuse. He could not continue because they differed with the king. When they gave him up to slavery, a colleague rescued him and sent him back home. Some sources explicitly state that Plato died in his sleep. They indicate that he died in 428 B.C.E. His remains lay on his Academy grounds (Nails 170-250).
Context
Plato taught that in order to find answers, people must ask questions. He encouraged people not to rely so much on other peoples work. It is in this perspective that Platos work only seeks to help the reader to think but not to assimilate his mind (Proffitt 100-150). A good number of his dialogues do not reach any definite conclusion, and that leaves people to think and provide arguments.
Plato concentrated on highlighting the ideal forms of life. He also looked at the daily experiences of life to give a formidable solution. The Republic is his most famous work. He foresees a civilization where society must accept the leadership of a king who is a philosopher.
In the Republic and the Phaedrus, Plato presents a tripartite soul. The Appetitive appeals to ones appetites, the spirited appeals to ones ego, and the rational appeals to the desire to make a wise choice. The Academus School became his primary achievement.
In the Theory of Forms, there are two distinct levels of reality. One reality examines the world that one can see and or hear. The second is the intelligible world of Forms. When one looks at a beautiful picture, one already has at the back of ones mind the conception of beauty in the abstract.
Philosophy deals with the intellect. The intellectual issues have proven to be the best source of understanding life than art and mythology. Plato mentions education in both the Republic and the Laws. He proposes that parents must take their children to school. Politics thrills him because of corruption and power struggles. The world came to accept him as one of the greatest thinkers.
Reflection
Platos dialogues give ethical living a high degree of life satisfaction. Philosophy can lead people to understand themselves better. The questioning and arguments present a moral ground to seek for answers.
Plato was one of the best geniuses of his time. Kings could consult him for wisdom and teachings. He raised another excellent model of the theory called Aristotle, who continued with his work.
Response
One discovers that Plato did a lot to strengthen and to revive moral and philosophical ideas. His dialogues enable one to think through and get rational ideas. Education is the first step to attaining a glorious ending. It means focusing on the well-being of the next generation.
The ethical ideas on the invisible and the visible world help one to connect with nature well. When one appeals to the intellect, one can quickly reach the visible world and make significant advancements in life. From the study, one becomes aware of ones moral views. He argues that what is good must come from a good person.
One becomes aware of personal views with certainty. The study opens up ones thinking about ones well being. It is applicable even in contemporary society.
His philosophical work must continue for various reasons. One is that the foundation of modern education depends highly on his work. He trained others like Aristotle, who continued to advance on his work. Parents should support their children to attain education to the highest level.
His contribution to mathematics through Pythagoras was a great achievement for modern education. He, therefore, joins the list of people who have contributed significantly to philosophy, as well as modern society. His work has earned a status in the community and appreciation from most of the schools of thought.
The parable of the cave written by Plato is an illustration of his idea concerning education. Plato believes that political problems will finally be solved when men and women of unquestionable moral standing use knowledge ad understanding acquired through education to liberate and emancipate the state from the actions of the ill educated and those without such knowledge.
In Phaedo, Plato observes that most people disregard the intrinsic value of knowledge and understanding by deliberately shunning new set of ideas, disciplined study, and new ways of thinking and intellectual effort that they are not accustomed to.
Most people are so perplexed by the foregoing that they turn away their eyes from understanding the truth just like they would avoid looking at the sun in the eclipse. For this reason, Plato finds the ascent to the truth to be both confusing and painful and that knowledge can only be acquired through various degrees of endurance.
The parable of the cave talks about prisoners who are deeply rooted in a world of illusion. They cannot see each other or even discern the voice of the puppeteers; they all believe that it is the shadows that are doing the actual talking.
A prisoner that has the chain attached on his or her neck broken and forced to turn his/her head cannot acquire proper knowledge of the real stuff unless he or she moves the body as well. The reaction of such a prisoner who has been set free would be that of someone completely caught of guard. He or she will experience pain in the eyes due to the light from the fire that has been casting shadows behind them.
He or she will be greatly confused from the moment he/she discovers that the shadows do not talk and all that was being done by the puppeteers which they as prisoners had taken seriously as life issues was nothing short of child entertainment. He or she gets accustomed to the light from the fire and his vision becomes clearer.
Once the freed prisoner has analyzed the constituents of the cave, he or she is again forced to walk outside the cave from where it becomes impossible to see clearly again due to discovery of new kind of light (knowledge/ ideas) which he/she was not used to. The prisoner has no choice but to look on reflections from the water until his/her eyes becomes accustomed to the light again.
When the night falls, he/she discovers other lights on the sky and as time goes by, he/she becomes accustomed to the light from the sun. The freed prisoner at this stage is convinced that reality is infinite as opposed to the narrow views held by the prisoners in the cave, who have full knowledge of reality based on a lifetime of studying shadows.
The movement of the prisoner from initial position of imprisonment to exploring the interior of the cave and then to studying reflections from water to stars and sky during the night followed by discovery of the sun and of course the realization that there are other realities out there is what is called by Plato the ascent to the truth. Education helps the philosopher to move from different levels of ignorance to the ultimate level of incorruptible morals coupled with knowledge and wisdom. These virtues are deemed as the absolute good.
Education enables men to move away from the cave of ignorance and inhumane notions as far as possible. The truly educated strive to control their desires, thus without proper morals, an educated person can be worse than a prisoner who never moved from the cave. In the contemporary society, most intellectuals resemble the wicked man who is wise as the philosopher but has his/her vision focused on wrong values that eventually undermine the ultimate good.
A state can enjoy peaceful prosperity by educating those whose vision is focused on the good. The enlightened person must not wonder at the marvel of the good forever but should instead get back to the cave and free those who are in bondage (Julia, 1991, 76).
Plato depicts four ways of life and thinking through this work namely imagination, thought, understanding and philosophy stage. The final stage helps a person to overcome prejudice and fully grasp the meaning of life (good). The life of every person begins deep inside the cave, the persons legs and head are bound. Through education, a person is forced to move as far out of the cave as possible and depending on a persons resilience, a career path is predetermined.
There are those who will not move at all, others will move about the cave and they become warriors and so on and those who move completely out of the cave become philosophers who should be accorded the opportunity to rule if stability in any country is to be realized, however, philosophers aspiring to run government activities should not run any other business while in office and this should be out of free will and not by compulsion (Julia, 1991, 46). The parable of the cave is analogous to todays media world and education system that is not value based.
Works Cited
Julia, Annas. An Introduction to Platos Republic, New York: Rutledge, 1991. Print.
In the parable of the cave, Plato uses metaphors to contrast human beings beliefs and perceptions regarding the truth and reality. The thesis behind the allegory of the cave is that as human beings we have different perceptions on the ultimate forms that are said to represent the truth and reality.
Plato presents the parable of the cave through a fictional dialogue between Socrates his teacher and Glaucon his brother. The parable of the cave can be understood better when it is related to the metaphor of the sun. In this theory, Plato presents his viewpoint on truth and human beings struggle with reality. According to Plato, the purest truth is ideas or forms and not perception of the world in our senses.
To demonstrate how the truth can be painful and confusing, Plato establishes a cave with prisoners who are chained and are facing the front wall of the cave. When analyzing this allegory, two things come out as important: the metaphor of the prisoners and tenets of philosophy demonstrated.
The prisoners are chained in darkness; they are bound to the floor such that their heads cannot turn to see whatever is happening behind them. To their backs, there are puppeteers who are protected by the parapet and they cast shadows on the caves wall.
The prisoners perceive this as reality. The description of the cave as well as that of the situation of the prisoners shows that they are mistaken on the idea of truth and reality. From this perspective, it is clear that the ascent of truth can be painful and confusing. For instance, the reader can tell the fact that the puppeteers are using objects to liken those shadows to reality.
With the prisoners heads turned down there is no way they can know the truth thus they perceive the shadows situation as real. From this point, it is a fact that what a person perceives as real from the time they are born can be completely false because the assumption is based on imperfect interpretation of the truth, reality, and goodness.
The truth is that, while living in a cave, an individual is unaware of the most important aspects of the environment. First, the individual cannot tell whether they are in a cave for they assume the surroundings constitute their entire universe. Secondly, the person has no idea that above the cave there is a sky, a ground level, and the sun because of the belief that what they see around them is real.
Upon release, a prisoner learns the truth on the objects that dominate their perception on reality. After stepping out in the sun, the prisoner learns the truth and reality which is actually confusing. All these points explain why Plato observes that the ascent of the truth can be confusing and actually painful. According to Socrates, the new found awareness of the prisoners reality and truth expands his understanding and knowledge on fundamental aspect s of the environment.
With reference to the Phaedo, it is true that the vision of reality can be dangerous to the eyes as seen in the case of the prisoners in the cave. Obviously it is not safe to look at the sun eclipse with naked eyes because of the terror of the truth. This is evidenced by the release of the prisoner; upon seeing suns rays his is bewildered and fearful for learning the truth.
If the prisoner returns to the cave, he will be going back to darkness. When he does return to the cave, the others ridicule him for taking the ascent and actually do not believe whatever he tells them. Therefore, the prisoner recognizes the Forms of Goodness and has to take the responsibility of sharing this enlightenment.
This allegory demonstrates what happens when a person passes from light into darkness and from darkness to light. During this process, the soul and mind gets confused after gaining knowledge. In one way or another, we are similar to the prisoners in the cave simply because we may have knowledge regarding our surroundings but with the world being immense we fail to know about everything.
A good example is a friend of mine, Albert who went blind at four months of age until last year when he had an operation to restore his sight. During his blind years, Albert just heard the descriptions his family and friends did on objects. Albert was used to darkness and could only perceive the reality and the truth about the world. He lacked knowledge on the fundamental aspects of his surroundings or rather environment.
As a result, Albert would have ideas completely dissimilar with their actual form in the real world. Albert was just like the prisoners in the cave; although he could move around he lacked knowledge on what constituted his surroundings. The surgery last year brought new light into Alberts world.
Just like the prisoner who stepped out in the allegory, Albert went from light to darkness. When he narrates his experiences to his blind friends they seem to doubt the truth that he tells them. This is because they are used to their surrounding as blind people. Their perceptions on the truth and reality differ with the actual truth. This parable represents the stages we go through in our lives and shows how the truth and reality are important in our existence.
Literature is a form of art that not only depicts the phenomena of the objective reality but also allows the authors to express certain hidden or underlying ideas. The latter can concern psychology, daily life, and even morality and law. The two literary works analyzed in this paper present examples of the pieces of writing that skillfully deal with the topics of morality and law. The Apology by Plato is the account of Socrates defense in the court of law, while the Plea for Captain John Brown by Henry David Thoreau is the essay defending the captain who rebelled against slavery. Both works display similarities and differences in their literary composition and underlying ideas, and this paper will focus on the comparative analysis of the above-mentioned writings.
Thus, the Apology by Plato can be considered a historical document that depicts, from the first person singular, the process of Socrates defense in the court of law after the Greek philosopher was accused of trying to persuade people in his unbelievable ideas. The work presents the account of the defense as if written by Socrates himself and this fact adds to the credibility of ideas expressed in it. Thus, Socrates defends himself saying that he never meant to protest against the social values and what he actually wants is to learn the world because the unexamined life is not worth living for men (Plato, 2009). Drawing from this, the defense of Socrates in the Apology is based on the considerations of humanity and thirst for education. The person willing to know more than others is tried and executed as a result.
In some aspects, the Plea for Captain John Brown by Henry David Thoreau is similar to Platos work. Thoreau (2008) presents his work as the expression of his personal opinion, although confronted by the majority of contemporary society, on the deed of the captain of the US Army. The latter, John Brown, dared to rebel against the then state of things and tried to free thousands of slaves doomed to die working for their white masters. However, after the failure of Browns attempt the society rejected his bravery and called him an insane person deserving to be hung for treason. What Thoreau asks is Who is it whose safety requires that Captain Brown be hung? (Thoreau, 2009), understanding that there are forces at the top of the social hierarchy that wants slavery to exist as their very wellbeing is based on slavery.
Thus, in both works considered the underlying legal and moral themes can be observed. Beginning from the legal issues touched by Plato and Thoreau, the clear focus on the drawbacks of the legislation contemporary to the authors can be observed. In the Apology, the very conflict of the work is based on the fact that the Athenian legislation allows a person to be convicted for his/her mere views on the world. Plato and Socrates protest against it but it is beyond their power to change the law on the spot. In Thoreaus work, these are laws and public opinion that are under scrutiny. Thoreau tries to convince his compatriots that Browns protest against slavery is a natural wish to give freedom to all people, but the rich slave owners dominate early 19th century America and Thoreaus attempts prove to be vain.
As for the underlying moral issues observed in both works, Plato focuses on humanity, dignity, and thirst for knowledge as the basic human qualities that the people that try to convict and execute Socrates lack. Plato, through Socrates words, shows how mean-spirited these people are and how obvious are the selfish goals they pursue by executing Socrates. Human pride wins over dignity and honesty, and the people of Athens readily execute Socrates as the person who knows more than they do. Thoreau also appeals to the human dignity in his work as if asking whether it is human to hang John Brown whose views are progressive and humane in their nature. Being only writers, neither Plato nor Thoreau is able to change the state of things and public mind, so what they can do is express their disagreement and criticize the society of their epochs.
So, both works under analysis touch upon the same topics of the drawbacks of law and of human morality as such. Plato depicts the events of the 4th century B. C., while Thoreau writes about the early 19th century A. D., and the only difference observed is the setting of events and the country. The very nature of people stays the same and they are ready to execute a person whose views, although correct and progressive, differ from theirs. Socrates promoted knowledge that became an integral part of human life several centuries later and people understood the absurdity of Socrates trial. Captain John Brown fought against slavery, and when the latter was abolished his actions became the role model for the freedom-loving Americans. Thus, only time teaches people and allows them realize their mistakes and avoid them in the future. Plato and Thoreau manage to prove this by their works.
In light of the current political climate, do you feel that Plato is right that people who go into public office for motives of financial gain (or power gain) actually destroy the republic? Why or why not?
On January 30th of this year, the Governor of Illinois, Rod Blagojevich, was impeached and removed from office after allegedly attempting to sell the Senate seat he was charged with appointing. According to transcripts from wiretapped phone conversations, the disgraced Governor said, Ive got this thing and its fu@#ing golden, and, uh, uh, Im just not giving it up for fu@#in nothing (Salon.com). Blagojevich was seeking a sum of money in the form of campaign contributions, as well as an appointment to a well paying job with a 501(c)4 organization after the his term as governor. This example clearly demonstrates the danger that Plato cautions about when he writes, But if beggars hungry for private goods go into public life, thinking that the good is there for the seizing, then the well-governed city is impossible (Book VII, 521, p. 193).
In this instance, Blagojevich was not a beggar in the traditional sense, but displayed a profit motive in public office because he was lacking personal resources. Therefore, in order to cross apply Platos standards to the modern day, the term beggar cannot mean a homeless person from the street, since they would have no means with which to seize political power. Rather, the modern day beggars are those who would seek to translate political power into personal gain. In other words, anyone who is hungry for private goods would be covered under this definition a beggar.
According to Plato and many other political theorists, a republic should be constituted to promote the public good and not private interests. For example, in the preamble to the US Constitution, its authors inform us they endeavored to establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare. The framers had in mind the preservation of the public good, and not the promotion of private interest.
Those who have in mind personal gain when they act are not acting in the interest of the republic by definition. However, some instances of personal gain are clearer than others. For example, Blagojevich attempting to sell a Senate seat is an example of using power for personal monetary gain; but what about a congressman who is influenced on a particular vote by someone who made a donation to his political campaign? In this instance, the motivation is to be reelected which enhances personal power. This scenario happens hundreds of times a daily, and is the way that many of this countys policy provisions come into existence (Green 1). The notation that the motivation to maintain a position of power can be destructive was addressed by Plato: But surely it is those who are not lovers of ruling who must rule, for if they dont, the lovers of it, who are rivals, will fight over it (Book VII, 521, p. 193).
However, does it logically follow that simply because individuals are pursuing their own interests that this makes it impossible for the eventual result to be in favor of the public? The congressman who takes money in the form of a campaign contribution probably is influenced by many different organizations, and still has to win the hearts of his constituents. The opposing side of an issue may very well be compelled to support his opponent, which may lead to him being voted out of office. In pursuing the perceived private good of being reelected, they more truly represent the views of their constituents in order to curry favor with them. On the macro-level, each branch of government in the United States is counterbalanced by the other two, making it more difficult for anyone to truly pursue their private interests at the expense of the public.
Most observers would agree that the pursuit of private interest can interfere with those of the public. Plato deals with this problem by supposedly granting power to the philosopher king, who would be able to make decision in an unbiased fashion. However, modern day republics (such as the United States) recognize that all men have self interest, so it is only by playing them opposed to each other that we can achieve a consensus public good. As James Madison put it in Federalist 51, If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary.
Since art is fiction, it does not accurately explain truth (Socrates quest), and therefore is not only not helpful, but immoral. In our modern art forms, do think that TV, movies, music, etc. deceive people about reality or inform them? Think about how you view life, history, science, etc. How much of it is based on facts, or how much is based on images that you may have seen in a movie, read in a novel, or heard condensed into sound bites by a reporter with an agenda?
Aristotle writes in his Poetics that imitation is an instinct of our nature (6). History validates that assertion since every culture has at least some form of artistic expression. Platos point is that art and media can disguise the truth, which can make philosophic inquiry more difficult. There are instances in which art can be deceptive and skew the truth; however, Plato ignores the instances when art can elevate philosophic discussion and moral discovery.
Certain forms of art probably have a negative impact on society. For example, many modern day televisions viewers get their expectations for themselves and reality from their favorite television show. Viewers may judge personal standards of beauty from an unrealistically thin and tan character. A 2009 study of those who viewed television indicates that content analysis of programming has generally revealed that television tends to portray higher incidences of violence than are actually present in the external world. This leads heavy television viewers to perceive higher levels of violence in society than light viewers. Platos claim appears to be true for commercial, mass media made to appeal to the largest amount of people possible. A historical example to consider would be the way that media and rhetoric were used under the reign of the Nazis. Literature, film, art and even philosophy were co-opted to suit the purposes of the regime.
However, there are many forms of artistic, cinematic and theatrical forms of expression which illuminate philosophic inquiry and discussion instead of hindering it. An example is the plays of Vaclav Havel, the dissident, playwright and eventual political leader from the Czech Republic. His theatrical work serves as a complement to his political theory and as a biting critique on the totalitarian system under which he was living. His work was so powerful that he was catapulted to a position of political power, where he had a large part to play in Czechoslovakia becoming autonomous once again. Havel commented on International Theater Day in 1994, Theater is a point at which the intellectual and spiritual life of the human community crystallizes. It is a space in which the community can exercise its freedom and come to an understanding (Havel 163). If one considers the works of Shakespeare, the music of Beethoven, the art of Leonardo, the films of Orson Wells and then the argument that the world of art and has no place in the discussion of philosophy would be engaging in an activity where the best purveyor of your ultimate aim cannot be utilized.
Ironically, Plato himself uses a dramatic structure to convey his points. His supposed dialogues between Socrates and observes are generally considered to be merely a vehicle for getting his point across and not an accurate portrayal of real events. Furthermore, Plato himself employs the Allegory of the Cave, which has at its core a premise so fantastical that he would be hard pressed to not cross apply his own argument and label it as imitation removed from truth. Other philosophers have engaged in the same practice of creating a narrative in order to breathe life into their philosophical arguments: Rands Atlas Shrugged, Sartres No Exit, and Camus The Stranger.
Art can be misleading and inspiring. In this instance, it is not the medium that ought to be critiqued, but rather the message. If a play, novel or television sitcom has at its foundation a premise that disguises the truth, then the result can be misleading; if, at its core the work has philosophical truth, then philosophic goals will be advanced. Perhaps Plato misses that fact that even though The imitation is far removed from the truth that distance may lead to better perspective and not an incorrect view of the world. Platos famous Allegory of the Cave demonstrates that we may not know where we stand with relation to the truth. However, works of art and theater (such as the Allegory itself) may be what eventually turns us around towards the light.
Green, Mark. Selling Out How Big Corporate Money Buys Elections, Rams Through Legislation, and Betrays Our Democracy. New York: Harper Paperbacks, 2004.
Havel, Vaclav. Art of the impossible politics as morality in practice : speeches and writings, 1990-1996. New York: Knopf, Distributed by Random House, 1997.
Madison, James. The Federalist #51. 2009. Web.
Osborn, Jeremy. The Influence of Television Viewing on Expectations for and Assessments of Romantic Relationships Paper presented at the annual meeting of the NCA 93rd Annual Convention, TBA, Chicago, IL, 2007. Web.
Ive got this thing and its fing golden Web.
LII: Constitution. Legal Information Institute at Cornell Law School. 2009. Web.
Among the great Philosophers in Greek was Plato who wrote a book by the title Republic where he explained most of his philosophy concerning education and the government (Fahey, 2008, p.1). Plato took after his teacher Socrates who was also a philosopher. In the Republic, Plato focuses on justice and its application in the societal institutions. He further goes to describe his ideal society with justice being the main theme of the book.
In his description of the ideal society, Plato explains that people in the society are not advised to act without knowledge such that before a city is erected, full understanding of justice should be known (Fahey, 2008, p.1). According to Plato, an ideal society included the people fulfilling their assigned roles thus making up a harmonious functioning society.
Plato focused on the needs of the people rather than their happiness as the essentials of building up an idea society. This paper is therefore a critical analysis of Platos philosophical thoughts, arguments and ideological description with regard to his book entitled the Republic.
Discussion
In his definition of justice, Plato borrowed from Socrates who defined justice to entail righteousness or worthiness. It is because of this that Plato held that a just state would be run by philosopher guardians. In this, Plato argued that a state had to hold the four great virtues which are; wisdom, justice, temperance and courage (Martin, 2009, p. 2). This would therefore make it to be ruled by the best which in Greek is termed as aristocracy. Plato goes further to divide the ideal state into three sections, upper, middle and lower.
The lowest end is composed of the producers who form the majority of the states population. The middle section entails the auxiliaries who are the army and the police force. The upper section forms the smallest percentage of the population and it is composed of the brightest people hence the rulers hence Plato refers to them as the Guardians. It is from this that Plato therefore recommends that Philosopher kings are the rulers, or Guardians, of Platos Utopian Kallipolis.
If his ideal city-state is to ever come into being, philosophers [must] become kings&or those now called kings [must]&genuinely and adequately philosophize (Blankenship, 1996, p. 72). In my opinion I think Plato was right on this argument despite the fact that an idea; state would be very hard to achieve. Personally, I feel that a government that is ruled by philosophers would be a perfect one as achievement of enlightenment would be among the important aspects of life in that state.
The fact that the philosopher Kings or rulers would be enlightened, this means that they would be incorruptible, wise, just and selfless. The main shortcoming of this ideology would be that of determining who genuine philosophers are and if they would be able to work in this changing environment made up of many corrupt people.
Even the philosophers are prone to vices such as corruption and therefore completely being dependent on them for good leadership would not be a right decision. In his book, the Republic, Plato does not forget to quote that the guardians are very hard to find since they are few and of special knowledge. However, on the issue of Platos division of the society, it is fair and ethical as all people are deemed to be equal.
On the other part, Plato goes ahead to explain that given their education, talents, virtues and the way their lives would be controlled in his Republic, such people are the best possible rulers. On this, Plato argues that the rulers or guardians should not come from the common people and that they should display outstanding professional skills (Okpala, 2009, p.1).
This is agreeable due to the fact that an ideal state requires to be manned by people with talents or rather born leaders. This is because such people have proper control, of their lives and would therefore in the same way control the republic in a good way.
Conclusion
From the above discussion, it can be clearly concluded that to some extent Platos arguments and ideologies were on the right. For one, he emphasized on his theme of Justice in his book, the Republic whereby he defined the term and explained what justice entailed in the society (Spielvogel, 2010, p. 59). Therefore when Plato commented that the rulers of an ideal state had to be philosophers or rather practice philosophy, he was right and justified since those were the more enlightened people in the society. That is together with the educated, talented and virtuous people who had control of their lives.
Reference List
Blankenship, J. D. (1996). Education and the arts in Platos Republic. Journal of Education, 178(3), 67-98.
Fahey, T. (2008). An Introduction to Platos Republic. Web.
Martin, G. (2009). Meanings and origins of phrases and sayings. The Phrase Finder. Web.
Okpala, O. (2009). Platos Republic vs. Democracy. Web.
Spielvogel, J. (2010). Western Civilization: A Brief History. Cengage Learning.
The book under discussion is Platos Republic which is believed to be the best of Platos dialogues because the topics covered are related and still relate to many of the society in general and human life in particular. These themes are knowledge, human nature, arts, ethics, and politics as well as education. The main theme of the discussion is justice and the characters of the work think over what justice is. And when a good society is considered, it is supposed to be just to make all people living in it happy. The verses, 369a-370d of the Republic describe several political formations such as tyranny or democracy as well as others, and he states that none of these formations is perfect and thus, people cannot be happy living there. This opinion can be carried over to the modern society and as far as according to Plato none of the social formations can be good, he still offers some arguments which could help the rulers and the society members to make the society a good one.
The society
First of all, Plato offers everyone in society to do what this person is inclined to do. If it is a worker, one should work, produce goods, sell generally, do what suits him best. As well, the ruler will do his job in the best way if one does not abstract from ones responsibilities. Therefore, I suggest that we first consider the nature of justice and injustice as they appear in the republic, and then examine the individual (Plato 369a) The society, according to Plato, is to consist of three classes workers, warriors, and rulers. And each group is to perform certain functions. It is necessary to say that modern society requires more classes but the idea of every class caring about its functions without interfering with others is expedient. The three arguments about justice in the social formation offered in the dialogue are the following (Annas 32). The first lies in the question of justice and happiness a just man is much happier than an unjust man. This can be argued as the understanding of happiness is individual, and for the unjust man, his way of life can seem happy. He does not abstract from his existence but considers only it on the other hand. The second argument asserts that the just life is the most pleasant. Plato is sure that just man is happy, healthy, and calm while a tyrant, for instance, is troubled by his passions and desires. A philosopher is the happiest person and is just because he has experienced all kinds of pleasures. The others in the society have to accept the philosophers judgments. Plato wants to prove that philosophers will make the best ruler. But it is not realistic, as in present to become a ruler a person has to be educated in many areas but not only be a philosopher. The third argument lies in kinds of kingship. People are weak and though it is good to behave according to ones morals, often rational part is not strong enough to rule the soul and thus to control a persons behavior. If this happens person becomes unjust. But, if justice is imposed from above in the form of laws this can help weak people to control their irrational part of the soul and to behave in a just way (Cross and Woozley 98).
He asks him to demonstrate that a person who is just but who has a false reputation for being unjust will truly be happier than an unjust person but through deceit has a false reputation for being just. If Socrates succeeds under these conditions, we can be sure that the person who is just is happier only because of the practice of justice for its own sake, and not because of its secondary benefits, since the just persons false reputation for being unjust will deny him or her all the secondary benefits. Adeimantus adds a further element to the test by extending its conditions into the afterlife. Even if Socrates can show that the just person will be happier than the unjust person in this life, if their false reputations do not continue into the afterlife, we still cannot be sure that the happiness of the just person derives only from the practice of justice for its own sake. If the gods see through the false reputations and finally reward the truly just person and punish the truly unjust person, how do we know that the just person was not practicing justice all along for the payoff in the afterlife? Thus, Adeimantus says, Socrates must prove that just persons would practice justice and be happier even if a mistaken reputation for injustice before the gods denied them the secondary benefits bestowed in the afterlife. Prove that, Adeimantus says, and Socrates has proven something.
Concept of justice
Socrates suggests that the best way to discover real justice is to look for it first where it is easiest see One could look for justice in a single person or a city, he says, but the larger scale of the city might produce results more readily. After convincing the others of this strategy, Socrates sets off to construct a city in which real justice reigns. And most students sigh in relief that, finally, they are going to get to the real meat of the Republic. Socrates begins his description of the just city with the claim that individual human beings are not self-sufficient. Since most of us are not self-sufficient even in providing ourselves with the requisites of physical survival, Socrates begins by designing a city to produce them (369a-372b). The city incorporates a division of labor for the provision of food, shelter, and clothing. Arguing that we are all more productive if we specialize in one thing rather than try to excel at many things, Socrates sets up the city as a community of interdependent shepherds, farmers, carpenters, weavers, cobblers, blacksmiths, traders, shopkeepers, and so forth (Pappas 48).
What Plato also stresses in his work is the purposefulness of justice which consists in making people happy. When the person is just, the reason rules ones spirit and appetites. As a result, this person lives a worthwhile life whoever he is. The conclusion can be made that for a society to be happy and perfect it has to be ruled by a just person (a philosopher, according to Plato) who cares not about ones desires but the happiness of others. As well, the social formation is to be well-defined and divided so that every member of the society did what suits one. Every person has to live a decent life to be just oneself and bring justice around (Cross and Woozley 84).
The concept of an ideal state
When laying out his concept of an ideal state, Plato emphasized that this state should be ruled by a philosopher. He saw the philosopher as an ideal person encompassing virtue and wisdom and thus able to lead people in the right direction. Ad he says in his fundamental work The Republic, because we have many wants people are needed to provide them (Plato 369c). Plato defined a philosopher first of all as a kind of occupation wisdom-lover (this is the literal translation of the term philosopher from Ancient Greek). After putting ahead this concept, Plato stresses a difference between one who loves true knowledge as opposed to simple sights or education. He asserts that a philosopher is the only man who has access to forms, which is the archetypal concept lying behind all representations of the form (such as a table in general as opposed to anyone particular table). This principle argument supports the idea that philosophers are the best rulers, and Plato creates the Ship of State metaphor, one of his most often cited ideas when we speak about his notion of philosopher-king. This metaphor embodies an ideal king as captain leading the ship (a symbol of the state) according to the respective route. Socrates comments: as I understand it a Republic comes into existence out of human needs (Plato 369c). Another allegory Plato used to describe this philosophy is the symbol of the cave (hard times) where the state dwells at the moment, and an ideal ruler has to lead all these people to light (better times) (Klosko 38). We do not want to see the leader who just talks about his or her plans and intentions we want to see them done. It is also a common belief that a philosopher is a person who just makes some mental conclusions from time to time without bringing them to life. So it is not only the way of such ruling which is unacceptable nowadays but also the image of the philosopher which is deemed negative by the majority. People want not only basic foodstuffs but relish and other condiments, not just basic housing but fine furniture, and not just clothing but jewelry. In short, people want luxuries. Socrates agrees, but nervously, suggesting that the city he has described would be a truly healthy one and that to admit luxuries into it will lay the groundwork for injustice. Nevertheless, he allows for luxuries and traces the consequences (Pappas 48). The persons practicing the various crafts he has already included will have to grow in number if they are to provide luxuries as well as necessities. Second, new tasks arise. Doctors who can treat illnesses that result from eating exotic foods must be brought on the scene. Third, and more important, since a larger population entails a larger territory, there will need to be a professional army to acquire sufficient land through war and defend it once acquired. This whole new class of persons who specialize in soldiering Socrates initially calls the guardians. This is not the whole story, though, for the rationale Plato invokes to introduce the overseers does not begin to account for the function they play once they are on the scene (Pappas 23).
Conclusion
In sum, organized solely for the most efficient provision of the requisites of mere physical survival, it would be a sort of grand trough from which people obtain food, shelter, and clothing. Socrates is hesitant to allow luxuries into the picture, but Plato would be no more satisfied with a city of craftspeople alone than is Glaucon. Plato, too, believes that humans want not only to live but to live well. For him, however, living well does not mean having access to luxuries; it means living in the light of the truth.
Works Cited
Annas Julia. An Introduction to Platos Republic. Oxford: Oxford University Press, Clarendon Press, 1981.
Cross R. C., and A. D. Woozley. Platos Republic : A Philosophical Commentary. London: Macmillan, 1964.
Klosko George. The Development of Platos Political Theory. New York: Methuen, 1986.
Pappas Nickolas. Plato and the Republic. New York: Routledge, 1995.
The Republic of Plato. Transl. by Allan Bloom. Basic Books; 2 Sub edition, 1991.
Platos ideal city can rightfully be called a city of pigs as it is in peoples blood to desire more than some food, clothes and dwelling. People tend to create comfortable conditions. Many people also enjoy creating, watching or possessing beautiful things which cannot be regarded as essentials. Therefore, no state can have the only aim to create some structures for economic growth.
People must have an opportunity to enjoy beautiful things (masterpieces of art) as these things are heritage of the entire humanity. At the same time, any society has to impose certain moral values based on the principles of justice. People must understand that moral conduct is essential. People must behave morally, irrespective of their fear of punishment or desire of joy. Of course, the state should be governed by a group of people who are close to (i.e. understand the needs of) all other groups.
These groups include, producers, guardians (police), caretakers (educators, medics, etc.). I believe the state should redistribute resources to ensure the public good. Taxation is one of the forms of redistribution. I think health care, education and care about elderly people as well as states order should be ensured by the state. The rest can be financed by those interested in a particular sphere.
Education in the City
Platos system of education is very effective as the philosopher stresses that young people must be surrounded by the right information. I agree with such a position and I also think that young people cannot be exposed to examples of vicious and immoral conduct. Otherwise, young people may see that such conduct is possible and will try to copy the behavioral patterns they observed. Education in the ideal city should be based on the principle of morality. Of course, young people should obtain basic knowledge about the world around them.
They should also be able to acquire certain skills to become members of the society. Apart from acquiring certain facts and skills, young people should be taught the principles of morality. It is not enough to tell young people that they should conduct in a proper way, but it is essential to show what can come of the person who breaks the rules.
Of course, this is not only about certain punishment. Young people should see that the vicious personality degrades and this may become one of the reasons why the majority of people will avoid misbehaving.
Functions in Society
Plato argues that people should carry out a single function in the society. For instance, guardians should protect the society and future guardians should be chosen and educated properly. Admittedly, this approach has a number of advantages, but it also has some drawbacks.
As for the positive effects of this approach, people fulfilling only one function can achieve really outstanding results in their sphere due to their experience and expertise. However, there are far too many hazards. First, choosing people to carry out the right function can be difficult or even impossible. Of course, some people show interest and more abilities in certain spheres.
Nonetheless, this interest and expertise may change during peoples lives. Thus, if a person was chosen to fulfill certain functions, there are risks that this person will fail. People also tend to get bored with routine tasks and start making mistakes. Therefore, I do not think such an approach is appropriate for an ideal society. I think people should have freedom to choose their path and to change their lives if they want to.
The concept of not knowing in Descartes meditation was one of the most influential opinions of all his philosophies. This has been portrayed in its use in modern learning. As a mathematician and a scientist, he came up with experimental works that have been used to date in learning institutions. For example, the experiment on refraction of light shows how a straight stick bends inside a clear glass half filled with water.
This is not true in the real sense because when the stick is removed from water it is remains straight (Broughton 198). Descartes disapproves all his findings by saying that the experimental is not true. He demonstrates a state of doubt in all his works. He confirms this by saying that his mind had deceived him. Though he does not believe in himself anymore, his hypothetical work has brought a solution to most problems in the current world.
The Concept of False Knowledge and Doubt
To Descartes, knowledge is innate. It is not a must that it comes from the mind. It is a representation of an image that is in the mind. He is majoring in avoiding wrong than proving right. His idea is that until one is sure about the truth of any matter, he or she should withhold judgment. Descartes states that it is better to keep mum than to speak false stuff. This helps to nullify the doubts that could be brought by different perception. One should only defend what he strongly believes is true.
People should not be moved by mob psychology or peer influence. It is hard to prove what truly exists because perspectives and ideas come from the mind which is corrupt. Hence not knowing or ignorance is fruitful because we do not have any meter to measure reality and perception to ensure truth. All perceptions are prune to doubt. Therefore, we ought to be ignorant such that we would not be caught in an endless regress of justification (Broughton 201).
In Platos Apology, the notion of not knowing is quite fateful for Socrates. He undergoes judgment in the hands of the Athenian jury (West 50). The events that follow do not help in Socrates acquittal, but lead to his death sentence. He implicates himself in this judgment because of his own responses. Socrates idea of not knowing leads him the fateful verdict which is death. Although death is not fearsome to him, it is not the best decision because his family would lose a great man. Socrates defends his idea with a notion that he is stating the truth.
In the parable of the cave the issue of not knowing is not beneficial at all. It is quite unfortunate for the prisoners in the cave to miss out on the great liberty outside the cave. All they know is the small world in the cave. In addition they have been barred from seeing the real world by the chains around their feet and neck.
What they see are images illuminated by fire and believe that these are all that exist. The prisoners are rich in knowledge of their environment and they are very comfortable with it. When one prisoner is released to go outside the cave, he meets a different world from what he was used to. He finds it very confusing that what he thought was real is not real. The free man finds himself at crossroads in choosing what to believe.
He pities the condition of the other guys in the cave. They do not know what actually exists in the free world. They are still in chains. Because of his freedom the free man gets the privilege of comparing the two worlds and he is in a position to judge on what is real and what is not real. The rest of the prisoners only know those forms reflected on the wall. They are missing out on the great picture since there is so much outside the cave that they do not know.
Confusing concept of True knowledge and wisdom
Descartes describes his view of appearance and reality. He meditates on the case of reality. He also wonders whether there could be a demon controlling what he sees. He concludes that men could be in a state of wake or dream. Descartes questions the kind of life that could be real and does not cause confusion (Broughton 198). He believes that everyones opinion is not real. Their perception is all wrong and whatever explanation they give cannot be trusted. Hence no one has true knowledge because every opinion calls for doubt.
In addition to doubt, Descartes refutes skeptical arguments and devices a new way of obtaining knowledge. That is the use science and math in designing experiments. He describes that to avoid error, one should seek another alternative which is more trustworthy. The most acceptable alternative is psychological evaluation. In the choice, one should avoid believing stuff quickly until he or she finds satisfying evidence. Therefore it is better not to know because what we really think is, is not.
In the Apology of Socrates, It was evident that Socrates had lost the case on the charges against him. To him this was gain and he appreciated the verdict. He believed that no one could prove what he or she had not experienced; hence to say death is horrific is a false statement. Socrates stresses that in the passing world the mind is prone to change and truth could actually be in death.
This is depicted in his expressions that the physical body is temporary while the soul is eternal. Socrates tries to prove that it is better to die than to live. His apology states that the wisdom he has is from the notion that he knows nothing (West 56). The admission of ignorance by Socrates demonstrates philosophy.
He tells the jury not to judge him on his words but by the truth. He even goes ahead to tell his defenders that he is not happy with their justification. He says that the defenders are on his side because they happen to know him. Socrates is not testifying to win the case but to speak the truth. This is confusing because one cannot campaign for his or her own death sentence. To him death brings gain as he illustrates that great philosophers have died and so death is a blessing.
Socrates goes further to invite fellow philosophers to follow him in death. He insists that they should never commit suicide since this is not acceptable to God. His idea is confusing in that he wants the philosopher to embrace death but the means of getting there is not known. Socrates claims of greater wisdom after death which is from the immortal soul (Gallop 18-21). He insists that the knowledge in the body is deceiving and not real. Therefore, to Socrates death is a blessing.
Conclusion
There is much difference between the two philosophers beliefs. Descartes idea of not knowing had solved many scientific and math problems. This is in contrast with Platos writing in the Apology of Socrates. He illustrates how the issue of not knowing robbed Socrates of the right to live. This was quite unfortunate while in the Parable of the cave, the same notion robbed the prisoners freedom of enjoying the goodness that was outside the cave.
Works Cited
Broughton, Janet. A Companion to Descartes. West Sussex: Blackwell Publishers, 2008.
Gallop, David. Introduction to The Phaedo. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1996.
West, Thomas. Platos Apology of Socrates. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1979.
Plato is one of the greatest Greek philosophers of the ancient world. He is famous for a number of literary works with philosophic contents, but one of the most famous is the Republic. This work written by Plato raises a great number of philosophic issues that can be discussed within the modern society perspective. The structure of the book presupposes its division into ten logical parts; each part of the book gives the readers some information about the Platos theories.
Discussion
The author discusses positive and negative features of the individuals, describes the forms of government, and introduces the idea about the necessity of the education in order to create a perfect state with perfect people, perfect governors and perfect form of government. The book can be regarded from a number of different points of view: it can serve as a guideline into the political philosophy of the mankind, as a handbook with many pedagogical issues for discussion, and as a description of different positions towards the ethics of the human behavior.
The author discusses the concepts of wealth, justice, moderation, and their opposites. Thus, justice is considered to be one of the human virtues including wisdom and courage as well. The next part of the book tells the readers about the individual, the state and education, where Plato describes the importance of the education for the state development: The authorities could identify any girl or boy as worthy for preparation for the high responsibilities because class mobility was necessary in a state dependent upon an elite of philosopher-kings (Lamm, 87).
Platos Republic
Another part is the description of the arts in education; the influence of arts is extremely important for future great people and their education. Thus the art plays a great role in the education of governors and philosophers. The next part discusses the human soul and its virtues as well as its negative features. Thus, the reader becomes aware of the justice and injustice represented by Plato. The author thinks describes his opinion about the justice and injustice: whether the justice is just the position of not telling lies or it should presuppose some other principles of the human consciousness and cognition.
In the book Republic Plato tries to explain the structure of the state and society in order to point out basic features of the ideal society and state, to be more precise, the author tries to establish the ideal state inhabited by the ideal society. Thus Plato introduces the division of the forms of government into four types. The first type of the form of government is tyranny; this form of the government is the worst and the cruelest one; it presupposes sufferings of ordinary people and eternal sorrow.
The tyranny is the power of people that lacks discipline and can bring only chaos. The next form is democracy where the power belongs to people who consider themselves entitled to the power only by being the citizens of the state. The form of the government that stands higher, according to the theory of Plato, is oligarchy. This form is believed to be the one which is governed by few people who try to achieve wealth by means of their power. The next form of government is the timarchy which is fulfilled by people who value themselves for an ability to use this very power. And the best form of government represented by the Platos theory is the aristocracy.
According to the Platos theory represented in his work Republic the aristocratic form of government is believed to be the best and the most appropriate one. As Plato was an idealist, he had idealistic position towards the state. Thus, in the aristocratic society the power belongs to the philosopher-kings who are educated and wise, the lower level of the social hierarchy is preoccupied by the warriors who have the goal to guard the governors because thy are entitled to the courageous actions, and the lowest level in the society is given by Plato to the ordinary people, such as farmers, merchants and other people who are governed by moderate desires and have no right to occupy a higher position.
Allegory of the Cave
The next issue that is necessary to discuss is the soul of the human from the point of view of its virtues including the desire for knowledge, truth and education. For this purpose the reader should know about the allegory of the cave introduced by Plato in his book in order to describe the uneducated people and the desire for education. One of the interpretations of the allegory sais that this metaphor was introduced in order to describe his teachers desire for knowledge and the attempts to educate people, to reveal the truth in order to guide them into light.
Two well-known similes in the Republic, the divided or the broken line and the cave, provide additional support for the concept of an educated right opinion and, of course, justify the rule of the philosopher in the ideal state (Hall, 70). As it was already mentioned in the current research, the ideal state should be governed by the philosopher-kings. The philosophers are considered to be educated people who posse wisdom to rule the state.
Thus, the educated right opinion is the issue that should be discussed in the light of the allegory of the cave because it is a clue to the essence of unhiddenness (Heidegger, 17). Thereby, Plato compares the knowledge to the sun which makes ordinary objects visible and the individual who understands the genuine essence of the objects follows the sunlight (Cottingham, 63). This allegory presupposes that all people are in the cave; they are chained and can see only their reflections made by the shadows. The author claims it is necessary to reach the higher world beyond the cave because in the cave we can see the objects and their shadows, whereas the sunlight makes everything clear and understandable.
Interpretations of the Platos allegory
Moreover, one can use the allegory of the cave introduced by Plato to study other different allegories and analyze them. Thus, there can be a number of different approaches to the examination of the allegory. Furthermore, the allegory of the cave explains the desire for knowledge represented by the author of the Republic. The wisdom is the result of the education and the education and knowledge are essential for the state development.
In this perspective it is necessary to mention the virtues of the human soul which can be govern by different thoughts. Thus the appetitive soul is believed to be ruled by moderation and is responsible for our feelings. But, according to the Platos theory, the lowest class of social hierarchy possesses the appetitive soul. The higher class is the class of warriors and it is considered to possess a spirited soul which is responsible for courage and concerns the willing. Consequently, the highest class of the philosopher-kings is believed to possess a rational soul which presupposes logical thinking and causes wisdom.
As a result of the previous investigation, it is necessary to discuss why people who live in poverty are uneducated or even abducted, when given the opportunity, will not come out of their caves of despair. The problem of education is one of the burning problems of the modern society. The uneducated people are likely to live under the poverty line; they are the bright representatives of people who live within the modern society and cannot enjoy the equal rights for education and normal life. There are a great number of reasons for the poor people to be poor, but one of the problems that is involved by the poverty issue is the lack of education.
Homelessness is increasing with an alarming rate in America. However, the authorities do not give it the recognition it deserves in local, state or federal level. Even media does not consider homelessness and poverty a serious threat to structure and stability of nation. According to a survey, almost 37 million people in America live below the official poverty line. Millions of Americans struggle each day to pay for necessary needs such as food and bills when they lose their jobs or face medical emergencies. Poverty is imposing more and more effective cost on society of about $500 billion each year, which is about four percent of Americas nation gross domestic product. Consequently, the United States should set a national goal of cutting poverty and homelessness in half over the next years.
In recent year, debate over homelessness and poverty has gained high attention. There have been two sides of argument ever since it started; one hand some people view poverty as an individual failure imposing no responsibility of failure on government. It includes wide variety of characteristic from low level of education to lack of hardworking nature. On the other hand, people consider poverty because of failing at structural level instead of individual level. It is the inability of nation economy to produce decent jobs with decent pay.
The counterpart believe that the poverty is a result of individual own irresponsibility. American government provide enough facilities for one to stand on his/her feet but those who do not want to work hard or struggle they lose hope and thus ended in poverty. They believe that people should not blame government for the current poverty and homelessness problem in America. However, one issue and cause of all this which the counterpart people cannot neglect is the inequality in economic growth of the United States which we will discuss ahead. In the following discussion, I will make the counterparts and government officials believe that it is not a result of individual irresponsibility but in fact outcome of government lack of devotion. Homelessness is something that one cannot consider separately from poverty.
Americans should not fall under poverty line where they cannot work or educate fully. All Americans should get opportunity to have essential resources in order to advance and move upward; in line of which poverty is a great hurdle.
Homelessness is a big problem with many faces and causes, but the root cause is the inability of nation to commit itself to people needs and to introduce programs to eliminate poverty. I believe that with few steps and enhancements the government can do a lot for the poverty the country is facing. Government should raise the minimum wage to at least half the hourly wage. It should try to connect the disconnected youth with school and work.
With just few enhancements and changes, the government can do a lot for the poverty and homelessness in the United States but the US government officials do not worth considering it a problem. With proper wages, the government can do a lot; students can maximize their abilities by living in a tension free space, workers can work more devotedly by not indulging into tensions of debts and poverty line. So, as a whole the nation can progress in more effective manner.
Lack of education and poverty
Thus, the lack of education is represented vividly by the current situation in the United States of America as well as in other different countries all over the world. The people who are encouraged are not always likely to obtain education because of the background or the neighborhood. The people have to cooperate and support each other when encountering such problems as poverty because of lack of education.
One can claim that it is unnecessary to discuss the financial situation of the uneducated people because the education is not the thing they can afford. Nevertheless, there are different organizations and associations which deal with poor people in order to help them to obtain education and become full-fledged members of the modern society and enjoy equal rights with other educated members of the same society. Moreover, the U.S. Constitution guarantees this right for the citizens of the United States of America.
Conclusion
The allegory of the cave helps us to analyze our own position that we have towards the modern world and the society, towards a great number of different issues, such as justice, wisdom and education. This metaphor encourages the people to believe in their power, in the power of their mind and to act in accordance with the principles. The lack of education is the problem of the entire modern society as well as the problem of each individual considered separately from his environment and neighborhood.
The Republic written by Plato, the great philosopher of the ancient world, is the handbook on ethical thinking. It makes the reader analyze the modern world, society, form of government and other basic notions from the point of view of the idealistic perspective. The allegory of the cave helps modern people to come out of their cave of despair and use the given chance. The opportunities exist to be used in order to achieve success. Thus, the uneducated people who do not take their chance and cannot use the opportunities to become successful and full-fledged members of their society are doomed to stay in their caves till the rest of their lives. The cave is not the dwelling to live in, it is a temporary shelter fro the storm. When the individual is ready to understand the current situation and the consequences of the storm, he can come out of the cave and see the objects in the perspective of the daylight.
Works Cited
Cottingham, John. Western Philosophy: An Anthology. London: Wiley-Blackwell, 1996.
Damrosch, David, and April Alliston, Marshall Brown,Page duBois, Sabry Hafez, Ursula K. Heise, Djelal Kadir, David L. Pike,Sheldon Pollock, Bruce Robbins, Haruo Shirane, Jane Tylus, Pauline Yu. Longman Anthology of World Literature, The, Compact Edition. London: Longman, 2008.
Hall, Robert. Plato. London: Routledge, 2004.
Heidegger, Martin, and Ted Sadler. The Essence of Truth: On Platos Cave Allegory and Theaetetus. London: Continuum International Publishing Group, 2002.
Lamm, Robert. Humanities in Western Culture, Brief Revised Fourth Edition. London: McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2004.
Annotated Bibliography
Cottingham, John. Western Philosophy: An Anthology. London: Wiley-Blackwell, 1996.
The book written by John Cottingham and published by Wiley-Blackwell Western Philosophy: An Anthology is the handbook that is easy to read and understand. It involves the history of the philosophic ideas throughout the history, starting with the ancient world philosopher, suchlike Socrates and Plato, and progressing with the discussion of the ideas represented by the leading philosophers of the modern world.
The Western philosophical tradition is discussed in this book in the most appropriate way, involving the experience of the ancient authors. The Western Philosophy: An Anthology contains one hundred extracts which discuss the philosophical traditions, ideas and concepts from the point of view of understanding by the members of modern society.
The book made the issue under discussion clear and understandable. Frankly speaking, the understanding of the allegory of the cave became possible mainly to the explanation represented in the Western Philosophy: An Anthology. The author made everything possible to clarify all existing vague issues of the philosophical tradition within the history of the mankind.
The allegory of the cave represented and analyzed by the great Greek philosopher Plato who was the student of Socrates. According to some interpretations of the metaphor, the author of the allegory was inspired by the deeds of his teacher to introduce the desire for knowledge and the education of the human mind and soul as a cave where we all are slaves of our blind desires
Damrosch, David, and April Alliston, Marshall Brown, Page duBois, Sabry Hafez, Ursula K. Heise, Djelal Kadir, David L. Pike, Sheldon Pollock, Bruce Robbins, Haruo Shirane, Jane Tylus, Pauline Yu. Longman Anthology of World Literature, The, Compact Edition. London: Longman, 2008.
Longman Anthology of World Literature, The, Compact Edition is written by David Damrosch in cooperation with many other great authors and published by Longman. The book provides a complete selection of the literature from the entire world representing all the periods of the human history in a single volume. All the authors who took part in the creation of this anthology are engaged in teaching and scholarship.
The book is full of different representations of the analyses made by a number of different scholars engaged into the scientific research. The selection of works of literature taken for analyses includes drama and poetry, a great number of translations and interpretations of classic texts. Thus, the whole book contains literary works that are important from the historical point of view as well as from the cultural and philosophical one.
The authors of an anthology made an attempt to show the readers how the major works of the ancient writers influenced the successive authors, how their views and representation of ideas appeared to be of crucial importance not only for their contemporaries but also for their followers and students.
Longman Anthology of World Literature, The, Compact Edition illustrates the progress of the human thought, the development of the cognition and knowledge, the achievements and innovations introduced by the representatives of every period within the human history.
Hall, Robert. Plato. London: Routledge, 2004.
The book Plato is written by Robert Hall and was published by the Routledge. The work is a great guideline for those who want to know more about the ideas of the great Greek philosopher of the ancient times. The book does not discuss the biography of Plato or his life. Instead of description of different intimate issues of the philosophers personal life, the book analyzes the ideas of the great thinker, his approach to the study of the world and the development of the contemporary state and society.
The book written by Robert Hall represents a great research made in order to explain the development of the thoughts and ideas introduced by the great Greek. The ideas of Plato progressed as the Athenian democracy developed. The author of the book made an attempt to give a complete explanation to the Platos thoughts taking into consideration the changes that resulted in the contemporary political theory.
The allegory of the cave is one of the allegories discussed within the representation of the Platos philosophical thoughts about the state, the government, the forms of government, the ideal form of government, and changes that should take place in order to achieve the goals of the ideal state.
The philosophical theory of the great thinker includes also the moral values of the representatives of the contemporary society as well as the features characterizing the citizens of the ideal state with the ideal form of government. The book introduces the discussion of the human soul and its virtues from the point of view of the allegory of the cave represented by Plato to describe the current situation in the democratic Athenian society and the possible changes of the human mind and soul.
Heidegger, Martin, and Ted Sadler. The Essence of Truth: On Platos Cave Allegory and Theaetetus. London: Continuum International Publishing Group, 2002.
The book is one of the best books written by Martin Heidegger; it must be considered of his best and most important works because The Essence of Truth: On Platos Cave Allegory and Theaetetus lets the reader into the world of the mysteries and implicit meanings. In this specific book Martin Heidegger tried to explain the theme of the philosophical sphere that represents a great value for the philosophers of the modern world and scientists engaged in other branches of the world cognition and comprehension.
This book is the first one and, probably, the only which gives such a bright description and explanation of the philosophical theories of contradictory nature. The authors Martin Heidegger in cooperation with his colleague discuss the diversity of philosophical aspects involved into the concept of truth, unhiddenness of beings and correctness of propositions.
The Essence of Truth: On Platos Cave Allegory and Theaetetus is the book where the authors represent their view of Platos educated right opinion and discuss the unhiddenness of beings . The description of the object in the sunlight is represented as the only right way to analyze the objects. Any other discussion is vague and does not make sense because the real essence of things can be visible only in the light of the sun.
As the cave can be compared to the human soul and mind, it is impossible for individuals to come out of the cave if they cannot see the daylight and cannot judge about the situation in the world just living in the darkness of the cave. The only right way to live as a full-fledged member of the contemporary society is to come out of the cave and analyze everything in the light of the sun.
Lamm, Robert. Humanities in Western Culture, Brief Revised Fourth Edition. London: McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 2004.
Humanities in Western Culture, Brief Revised Fourth Edition is an excellent book written by Robert Lamm and published by McGraw-Hill Higher Education. This book is designed for the students who learn the humanities, mainly the humanities in Western culture.
The book contains a number of literary works represented in the brief form which help the readers to analyze the whole spectrum of the historical expressions of the human culture. The history of the culture of the mankind is represented, discussed and explained from the point of view of the modern society taking into consideration the contemporary culture of the twenty-first century. The selection of the literary works is very diverse and includes a great number of masterpieces representing all the civilizations.
The book is based on the experience of other scientists; they structured the book chronologically. Humanities in Western Culture, Brief Revised Fourth Edition represents the journey from the very beginning of the civilizations, suchlike Ancient Greeks and Egyptians. The author of the book made an attempt to analyze the problems of the earlier civilizations and the approaches which our ancestors were searching in order to solve them.
The author of the book analyzed the achievements of the earlier civilizations from the point of view of the influence in the modern world and the ways of usage throughout the history of the mankind. The book also contains the work written by the great Greek philosopher Plato Republic; this work is analyzed from the point of view of the allegory of the cave.