Topic > A study of ancient Greece using Plato's allegory of the cave

Philosophy focuses on ideas and theories that tend to surpass the thoughts of human perception and the nature of reality. An idea may be perceived as idealistic rather than knowledge-based. The following quote: “And now, I said, let me show in a figure to what extent our nature is enlightened or unenlightened: Lo! Human beings live in an underground cave, which has a mouth open to the light and which extends along the entire cave; here they have been since their childhood, and can only see straight ahead, for the chains cannot go round their heads,” comes from an accredited philosopher named Plato, specifically from one of his works, the Allegory of the Cave. Say no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay He stated that to have "real" knowledge per se, one must obtain it through philosophical beliefs and reasoning in two levels of reality, archetypal and earthly. Archetype is an idea and is the highest and purest form of the level of reality. Plato values ​​the absolutes as well as the natural tendencies of perception , earthly, is material and this level of reality is impure and distorted. It is an unhealthy reflection of the absolute archetype. The highest and purest level can be reached through reasoning, which most people cannot achieve. Individuals base their decisions on emotions and misinformation and for this reason are easily manipulated. Plato's theory is quite rational as this symbolic story had long-term influences on 21st century norms and shaped the beliefs of individuals during his time and afterward. The appearance of new thoughts and ideas is often questioned about their pre-existence. As in the story, Plato placed a group of prisoners in this cave and made them face the opposite direction of the entrance/exit, which allowed them to observe only the shadows cast by passing pedestrians. They offered new or recognizable sounds. When dragged out of the comfort and familiarity of the cave, one of the prisoners was introduced to the sunlight of the outside world. Being forcibly introduced to this new world and adapting to what he is experiencing, the prisoner tries to warn the other fellow prisoners of the cave. After multiple failed attempts, the other prisoners do not believe what he is saying and remain content with their current environment. This symbolism demonstrates Ancient Greek society, as Plato distinguishes the difference between individuals who mistake sensory knowledge for truth and those individuals who can see the “real” truth. Groups can easily become complacent with their surroundings and conform to what others deem acceptable. With such a society, perspectives can vary and vary from individual to individual. Once an individual finally witnesses the “real” truth and gains new knowledge, while attempting to inform others, those who are content become naive as this new information is ignored and in turn becomes irrelevant. Ancient Greece has elements of leadership that correspond to the allegory of the Cave. Living in an environment that not only promotes what would make the best leader, but having a community of citizens and individuals with rights and responsibilities created the world's first democracy. Democracy is a structured system in which it relies on rule by the majority of its citizens, so it tends to be a flawed system because it allows the ignorant to rule. These individuals have no transcendent values ​​or values.