Essay, Research Paper: Allegory Of The Cave

Philosophy

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The Allegory of the Cave, like most things in philosophy, can be deciphered in
many different ways. It basically says that people are chained to the wall of a
cave and they have nothing to look at but shadows on the wall that are provided
by another. This is all that they know and have never been out of the cave. That
tells nothing on the surface, but once one looks really hard a few messages or
meanings can be interpreted from the Allegory. The main point of the Allegory of
the Cave is to give an example of the way that we all live our lives. Except for
a chosen few like Christ, Gandhi and maybe even Socrates, no one is really
enlighten, or has seen what life is all about. The remainder of the Earth’s
inhabitants see what we think is reality when actually it is, persay, the
"shadows" of true reality. The Shadow makers represent the opinions
makers, or the people that make us look at the world the way we do. An opinion
maker can be anyone, a priest telling you how God wants you to live, ones
parents teach them morals or the television. These shadows make us think that
this is the way to live and that this is what is important in the world. As
stated before, few can break the chains and escape the cave. When they do and
find out what true reality is, most come back and want to spread the truth. In
most cases these people are looked down upon for not conforming or for trying to
poison the minds of others. Look at Christ, he was crucified for trying to teach
as was Socrates. The main point of the Allegory is to illustrate the way in
which we live and show how what we think is reality merely are shadows. I seem
to think there is another meaning to the Allegory of the Cave. I agree with the
interpretations of the story up to a point. The part where my believes differ is
upon leaving the cave. I do believe while on Earth some do break their chains
and escape the cave to see what reality is, however I believe that we all
eventually break the chains some just do it while on Earth. What is meant by
that is in death we break the chains. The Allegory says that it is painful to
break the chains, and in most cases death is not pleasant but painful. Once out
of the chains, there is indecision, what to do, where to go. Only when the
sunlight is spotted from the cave entrance does one know where to go. Again
death echoes this same pattern. Many say after death there is indecision until
the bright light draws them toward it. The Outside of the cave, the true
reality, then is a symbol of heaven. Both represent a better place, a sort of
paradise where things can be more clearly understood. This interpretation may
conflict with an earlier statement that suggests that some break the chains and
become enlightened while on earth but it does not. Those who are lucky enough to
have found true reality while on Earth were the exception. They did not have to
die to find out what others find out after death. Digressing, the cave is an
example of the Earth and the way we live our lives. The breaking of the chains
represent death in the sense that we break free from our physical forms and now
are an essence that is free to explore new worlds. Heaven is represented by the
outside of the cave. It is what is strived for by all, to escape the cave and go
somewhere better and become something better. The Allegory of the Cave is a
direct comparison to that of the process of dying and accention into heaven. The
Allegory of the Cave is and illustration of the way humans look at the Earth and
what we fell is reality. Most do not escape this warped thinking until death.
Few break free and see what true reality is while on Earth. In both cases
however, all of us find out true reality eventually, some are just gifted enough
to have found it while still living.
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