The Allegory of the Cave Essay -- Platos Republic

In Platos Republic, the great philosopher describes what is needed to achieve a perfect society. He addresses several subjects still debated in todays society, such as justice, gender roles, and the proper form of education. He discusses these issues through his main character, Socrates. Socrates, another(prenominal)(prenominal) well-known philosopher for his time, happens upon a group of men, and what begins as a modest question, leads into a series of debates, metaphors, and allegories. Perhaps the most discussed allegory in todays popular farming is the Allegory of the Cave. Over the past decade, several movies have mimicked the fantasy, the most lucrative being the Matrix Trilogy. But what makes this story so fascinating? with it, Plato attempts to map a mans journey through education. The map used is another metaphor the soak up. He explains the rewards for those who reach the slide by of the Line, and the significance of those who fall short. He also tries to answer the im portant question, how does a citys ruler view government activity and education, once he has reached true understanding? Platos fantasy begins in take for VII, 514a, with a dismal view of humanity, told by Socrates. He describes a human race in which people live in a cave from birth, neer seeing any sign of daylight. Theyre heads are bound to the wall in such a way that they cannot look at either place of them, nor behind them. The people are ignorant of all their surroundings provided for what is directly in front of them. Socrates goes on to describe a considerable fire behind the people, and behind the fire, a partial wall. On top of the wall stand several statues of people, animals, and other various objects. Out of galvanic pile from the bounded prisoners are another group of people who manipulate the ... ... of the Line Imagination, Belief, Thought, and Understanding. When he completes the Line, he becomes a philosopher-king, ruler over the city. The guardian thus re turns to the cave to help the others turn around and become amend. They perform this kind-heartedness because they strive for the benefit of the city, rather than themselves. In contrast, the prisoners who refuse to become educated must not participate in administration, because their motives are set on benefiting themselves instead of the people as a whole. Through these points, Plato explains the views of the philosopher-king. The ruler views politics as a privilege meant only to be experienced by the educated, and he views education as the ultimate goal in life sentence to achieve understanding of the world around him. Through these ideals, Plato believes that his ruler volition be able to properly lead his perfect Republic.