Plato's Allegory of the Cave

Plato Study Questions:

1. According to Socrates, what does the Allegory of the Cave represent? The allegory of the cave represents the shackles that hold some people while others have chosen to be unbound by them. By shackles, I think Plato means a narrow view of life. 
2. What are the key elements in the imagery used in the allegory? The Cave represents what knowledge we learn (the knowledge told to us). I guess the light represents more knowledge and the unlimited about of knowledge available out in the real world. Kind of like a kid on his laptop in his room. Sure this kid has the internet but there is so much more knowledge if he just steps outside his room and opens his eyes to the possibilities out there. The "light" is the reality that everyone must face where it hurts them to see into it or it brightens their view.
3. What are some things the allegory suggests about the process of enlightenment or education? The fact that there are "puppeteers" controlling shadows and ultimately control what the prisoners can see represents a symbol of what you are taught. People will constantly want to control what you "see" (learn) because knowledge is power and what you see either hinder or advance certain causes. Governments in foreign countries oppress their people by only feeding them certain knowledge. If people in the United States knew all the chemicals that go into their food or the process by which certain products were made, would people still want to buy those products? Some people might even be indifferent because it doesn't affect them. While others would decline to buy because of ethics.
4.  What do the imagery of "shackles" and the "cave" suggest about the perspective of the cave dwellers or prisoners? I think that the cave represents a person's narrow view of life. If you only belief in one thing and are so attached to an idea, it would be as if you are chained inside a cave. You miss things when you are not open to other possibilities because you are so locked on a singular idea and way of thinking. You learn more when you are open to an idea. For example, if you abhor French class, your completed homework assignments are probably going to be crappy because your perspective of the class is so low.
5.  In society today or in your own life, what sorts of things shackle the mind? Bigotry and traditions shackles peoples' view on life. Children are brought up with the beliefs of their father's. These beliefs are probably decades old and we live in an era where the now is the new normal and if your not part of the now, you are lost in history. 
6. Compare the perspective of the freed prisoner with the cave prisoners? The freed prisoner is exposed to so much knowledge that it can advance in the world because it is not shackled down. The prisoner is not exposed to the same experiences because it can't even get out of the cave.
7. According to the allegory, lack of clarity or intellectual confusion can occur in two distinct ways or contexts. What are they? Confusion as occur in two ways :" either from coming out of the light or from going into the light." Someone who has adapted to the darkness will have trouble adjusting to the light and will be momentarily blinded by it. Someone who has adjusted to the light will be tripping over rocks and bonking one's head in the dark.
8. According to the allegory, how do cave prisoners get free? What does this suggest about intellectual freedom? Well the prisoner's are unchained but they are truly free when they decide to step outside of the cave instead of simply residing in it. Knowledge is yours for the taking but you have to be willing to go out for it and grasp it.
9. The allegory presupposes that there is a distinction between appearances and reality. Do you agree? Why or why not? I completely agree that there is a difference between appearances and reality. I may dress sometimes like an emo-goth but I'm a nerd. I may dress like a nerd sometimes but I'm also a goth. Just because you see something doesn't mean that something is real (hallucinations). Just because you don't see something doesn't mean it's not real (oxygen). What is visible isn't always a reality but it doesn't mean it doesn't exist.
10. If Socrates is incorrect in his assumption that there is a distinction between reality and appearances, what are the two alternative metaphysical assumptions? 1) That people will believe what they see and draw conclusions about a person without any evidence. And 2) people won't stride forward because they will continue to be shackled to a cave wall by relying on appearances only.

Two favorite quotes:

• "Better to be the poor servant of a poor master, and to endure anything, rather than think as they do and live after their manner? Yes, he said, I think that he would rather suffer anything than entertain these false notions and live in this miserable manner. "
  
• "Bodily exercise, when compulsory, does no harm to the body; but knowledge which is acquired under compulsion obtains no hold on the mind. "