Allegory of the Cave

Theory of Theory of FormsForms

Theory of Theory of FormsForms

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Plato (428-427 B.C)

WHO WAS HE?Plato, born possibly in Athens, at a time

when Athenian democracy was already well developed.

He belonged to a wealthy and aristocratic political family.

Founder of the Academy in Athens, which can be regarded as the Western world’s first university, and its first school of philosophy.

He died at 80 years old

Context of the timeAll questions at one time were spiritual in nature,

and the Greek religion was there to answer all these questions

The rising and setting of the sun was Helios

Earthquakes and the tides were controlled by Poseidon

Ancient Science had proven these gods to be false;

With little left to answer, Science and Philosophy began to tackle the remaining questions

Where do we come from?

What are we doing here?

What is the meaning of life and the universe?

Questions of the time

Plato the manLong line of Skeptics (including Socrates)

Eternal and unchanging knowledge was hard to find in the world

Everything was always changing – even our senses/body

In his Socratic dialogues Plato argues through Socrates that because the material world is changeable it is also unreliable.

Test the Senses

Are these equal?

Evilor

Good?

What is this?

What’s wrong with this picture?

Perception Always Changes

Draw a ball

Constructed Reality

We perceive imperfect ‘reflections’ of the Forms

A form is an eternal idea that exists outside of the physical world

Timeless and unchanging, transcendent above all things

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Eternal

They exist forever, independent of all things. They do not need to be created nor sought, the just “are”

Transcendence

They do not exist in space and time. A material object, a basketball, exists at a particular place at a particular time. A form, roundness, does not exist at any place or time.

PureThey are pure properties separated from all other properties.

A material object, such as a basketball, has many properties: roundness, ballness, orangeness, elasticity, etc.

Forms are Incorruptible

The Forms

EternalTranscendentoDo not exist in our time and space

Changeless PerfectPureo They are “pure” properties

separated from all “other” properties.

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Example of the Forms

The Divided Line

Simile of the Sun

The Allegory of the Cave

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Simile of the SunUnless there is light, our eyes cannot

see, even though they have the power of sight, and objects that we can see exist and have colour and shape.

It is only in the presence of light, which comes from the sun, that we can see.

The sun also causes growth

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~ The sun causes sight.

Plato thinks of sight as a power that the eye gets from the sun, as though eyes actually make what they see ‘visible’ in a way similar to how the sun makes things visible.

Plato says….

Allegory of the Cave

Bound Prisoner Only knows the

images as reality

He mistakes the reflection for the true appearance of reality

Believes the shadows to be a person but its only the reflection of a real person

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What are the Shadows?Government

Education

Relationships

Authority Figures

Reality

Bound Prisoner

When the bound prisoner is released, he turns his head to see his captures

Confusion arises Sees the opening of the

cave and exits towards the light

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Bound Prisoner Exits the Cave

The Form of the Good revealed

Prisoner now sees the world above the cave

He realizes the error in his thinking

He now sees the accepted form of reality, and not the reflected reality in the shadows

The prisoner returns to this cave to tell the others what he sees – Strange Prisoner ~>

“Nothing so educates us as a shock” (Durant SoP, 13)

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The Forms are the Causes of All that Exists

The shadows on the wall represent material objects, while the real objects are the forms outside the cave.

The forms contribute all order and intelligibility to objects.

Important evolution in the thinking process

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Allegory of the Cave

Represents a bigger part of Plato’s Republic o man’s quest for the Good

Man must remove misconceptions of reality and seek what is Good

Leads too Plato’s Philosopher Kingo Model understandingo Awareness of reality

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Philosopher KingPhilosophers contemplate that which they do

not know

Educate themselves to all things

Protect the needs of the many

Soul strives for Truth, Justice, and Meaning

The rational part of his soul must seek “Just”

The The Allegory Allegory

of the Caveof the Cave

The The Allegory Allegory

of the Caveof the Cave

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