Anonymous
6/29/2025, 5:12:45 PM
No.24506190
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>>24506192
>>24506204
>>24506219
>>24506283
>>24506452
Who are the philosophers whose works are so well-written that you enjoy reading them as much as fiction?
>>24506190 (OP)
Plato's Allegory of the Cave is one of the most famous and influential philosophical metaphors, found in his work Republic (Book VII). It's a powerful story that illustrates his ideas about reality, knowledge, perception, and the purpose of education.
Here's a breakdown of the allegory:
The Story
Imagine a group of people who have been chained in a deep cave since childhood. They are bound in such a way that they can only look straight ahead at the wall in front of them. Behind them is a fire, and between the fire and the prisoners is a raised walkway with a low wall. People walk along this walkway, carrying various objects or puppets (statues of men, animals, etc.) above the wall.
The fire casts shadows of these objects onto the wall that the prisoners are facing. The prisoners have never seen anything else; they don't know about the fire, the walkway, the people carrying the objects, or the world outside the cave. For them, the shadows are their entire reality, and they discuss and name these shadows, believing them to be real. They even play a "game" where they try to predict which shadow will appear next, and those who are good at it are considered wise.
Now, imagine one of these prisoners is freed. This freed prisoner is forced to turn around, see the fire, the objects, and the people. The light and the new reality would initially be painful and disorienting. They might even resist, preferring the familiar shadows.
Plato's Allegory of the Cave is one of the most famous and influential philosophical metaphors, found in his work Republic (Book VII). It's a powerful story that illustrates his ideas about reality, knowledge, perception, and the purpose of education.
Here's a breakdown of the allegory:
The Story
Imagine a group of people who have been chained in a deep cave since childhood. They are bound in such a way that they can only look straight ahead at the wall in front of them. Behind them is a fire, and between the fire and the prisoners is a raised walkway with a low wall. People walk along this walkway, carrying various objects or puppets (statues of men, animals, etc.) above the wall.
The fire casts shadows of these objects onto the wall that the prisoners are facing. The prisoners have never seen anything else; they don't know about the fire, the walkway, the people carrying the objects, or the world outside the cave. For them, the shadows are their entire reality, and they discuss and name these shadows, believing them to be real. They even play a "game" where they try to predict which shadow will appear next, and those who are good at it are considered wise.
Now, imagine one of these prisoners is freed. This freed prisoner is forced to turn around, see the fire, the objects, and the people. The light and the new reality would initially be painful and disorienting. They might even resist, preferring the familiar shadows.
