Plato's Allegory of the Cave

1. According to Socrates, what does the Allegory of the Cave represent?
The Cave represents society and how some people in it have their minds locked in a cave where they only see shadows of things and do not see the whole picture.

2. What are the key elements in the imagery used in the allegory?

3. What are some things the allegory suggests about the process of enlightenment or education?
Learning new perspectives is hard because you have to let go of the old ways of thinking. You'll probably have to be forcefully shown this education because ignorance is bliss and we don't like to leave or comfort zones.

4. What do the imagery of "shackles" and the "cave" suggest about the perspective of the cave dwellers or prisoners?
It is very limited and restricted. They will only ever understand a small scale of what the world is made of.

5. In society today or in your own life, what sorts of things shackle the mind?
Expectations, ignorance, conformity...

6. Compare the perspective of the freed prisoner with the cave prisoners?
Wider, broader, much more enhanced, and just a much deeper understanding of life.

7. According to the allegory, lack of clarity or intellectual confusion can occur in two distinct ways or contexts. What are they?
Either from being exposed to a broader perspective or a much narrower perspective, both of which has a shock factor associated with it.

8. According to the allegory, how do cave prisoners get free? What does this suggest about intellectual freedom?
The prisoner was forcefully shown the truth and forcefully dragged into the outside world. This suggests that intellectual freedom sometimes must be forced and it is very shocking at first but one must get used to it.

9. The allegory presupposes that there is a distinction between appearances and reality. Do you agree? Why or why not?
Yes, because ignorance of the whole picture causes us to misjudge and miscalculate. When we see the appearance of someone, we often judge them to be in a certain group but the reality can be much different.

10. If Socrates is incorrect in his assumption that there is a distinction between reality and appearances, what are the two alternative metaphysical assumptions?
Ignorance is bliss but it can be very dangerous. The prisoners wanted to kill the man who came from the outside because he spoke nonsense and didn't want to accept what they accepted to be true. The truth will hurt and it will be shockingly blinding but once you adjust your eyes, a world of knowledge will unravel before you.