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Share your thoughts!
IS IGNORANCE A BLISS?
Objectives:
-discuss the allegory of the cave by Plato
-answer questions regarding the story
Great Books
Karla Jane P. Cabiling, LPT, MAEd
Notre Dame of Marbel University
Ancient Literature: The Republic by Plato
The dialogues of Plato's The Republic (c. 375 BCE) are regarded as the
first great texts on political and moral theory; it is considered by many as
Plato’s masterwork. Divided into ten “books”, it features Plato’s teacher,
Socrates, in dialogue with several friends. It was written 2,400 years
ago and remains one of the most widely read books in the world,
famous for both the richness of its ideas and the virtuosity of its writing.
About the Author
About the Author
Plato (born 428/427 BCE, Athens, Greece
—died 348/347, Athens) is an ancient
Greek philosopher, student of Socrates (c.
470–399 BCE), and the teacher of Aristotle
(384–322 BCE). He is the founder of the
Academy, the ultimate ancestor of the
modern university (hence the English term
academic), best known as the author of
philosophical works of unparalleled
influence. He is one of the most brilliant
and far-reaching writers to have ever lived.
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Plato was born to Ariston, an Athenian
aristocrat who traced his lineage to
Codrus, the king of Athens, and to
Melanthus, the king of Messina.
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Republic, VII 514 a, 2 to 517 a, 7, Allegory of
the Cave
The allegory of the cave is one of the most famous
passages in the history of Western philosophy. It is a
short excerpt from the beginning of book seven of Plato’s
book, The Republic. Plato tells the allegory in the context
of education; it is ultimately about the nature of
philosophical education, and it offers an insight into
Plato’s view of education. Socrates is the main character
in The Republic, and he tells the allegory of the cave to
Glaucon, who is one of Plato’s brothers.
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Vocabulary terms
shackled-restrain; limit
reverberating-return or re-echo (a sound).
acclimatization- becoming accustomed to a new
climate or to new conditions
destitute- without the basic necessities of life.
peasant-one who has a low income, very little
education, and a low social position
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Summary:
‘The Allegory of the Cave’
by Plato
I. The Cave
Imagine a cave, in which there are three
prisoners. The prisoners are tied to some
rocks, their arms and legs are bound and
their head is tied so that they cannot look
at anything but the stonewall in front of
them. These prisoners have been here
since birth and have never seen outside
of the cave. Behind the prisoners is a fire,
and between them is a raised walkway.
People outside the cave walk along this
walkway carrying things on their head
including; animals, plants, wood and
stone.
II. The Shadow
So, imagine that you are one of the
prisoners. You cannot look at
anything behind or to the side of you
– you must look at the wall in front of
you. When people walk along the
walkway, you can see shadows of
the objects they are carrying cast on
to the wall.
If you had never seen the real objects
ever before, you would believe that
the shadows of objects were ‘real.’
III. The Escape
One of the prisoners then escapes from
their bindings and leaves the cave. After
taking time to be accustomed to the sun,
he is shocked at the world he discovers
outside the cave; he does not believe it
can be real. As he becomes used to his
new surroundings, he realizes that his
former view of reality was wrong. He
begins to understand his new world, and
sees that the Sun is the source of life and
goes on an intellectual journey where he
discovers beauty and meaning
IV. The Return
The prisoner returns to the cave,
now more knowledgeable,
although blinded by the sun.
He informs the other prisoners of his
findings but they do not believe
him. They instead pondered on his
blindness, and the thought of the
danger that awaits if they were to
go outside the cave.
Discussion Questions:
1. Describe other "caves" in modern life in which people might be
"imprisoned" or feel "imprisoned”. Explain.
2. How is it possible that people can believe in illusion and accept it as
reality? Justify.
3. In the society today or in your own life, what sorts of things ‘shackle’ the
mind? Explain.
4. The allegory presupposes that there is a distinction between
appearances and reality. Do you agree? Justify.
5. What do you think is the best approach in analyzing the selection?
Justify your choice.
Role Playing: Create a 3-5 minute role play incorporating
the types of Intertextuality in the Allegory of the Cave by
Plato. Be ready to present your work to class.
Criteria:
Content-15
Creativity-10
Presentation- 15
Total: 40 pts
Analysis
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Thanks
!
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