The Allegory of Plato an Example by

The Allegory of Plato: The Distinction between Reality and Illusion Plato is one of the most relevant figures in philosophy. He has been a great influence to all the other philosophers who emerged after him. His works are mostly in the form of a dialogue, allowing readers to easily understand his philosophy. One of the most recognized texts attributed to Plato is the Allegory of the Cave, which conveys an important element of his philosophy through a conversation with Glaucon. Through the allegory, Plato tries to illustrate the difference between how illusion and reality is perceived by people. Need essay sample on "The Allegory of Plato: The Distinction between Reality and Illusion" topic? We will write a custom essay sample specifically for you Proceed An allegory is that which represents something apart from itself. Therefore, the Allegory of the Cave by Plato is more than just a story. It conveys a message beyond the given instances indicated in the text. It actually illustrates one of the most integral aspects of Platos philosophy. In the allegory, Plato tries to distinguish between enlightenment and ignorance of humanity (Plato 79). He gives out a specific scenario, one which includes prisoners in a cave. Plato describes this cave as one which has an entrance that allows sunlight to come into the cave. Inside the cave, there are prisoners who have been there since their youth. Their legs and necks are bound, forcing them to only look ahead. The prisoners could see through a curtain wall which is also found inside the cave. Somewhere high above, there is a fire (Plato 79). The fire creates shadows of those people which move behind the curtain walls, shadows that the prisoners can see. Because of their bondage, these shadows are the only things that the prisoners can see. Plato gives another scenario. One of the prisoners is freed from the condition he was trapped in since he was a child (Plato 80). For the first time, this allows him to see for himself the fire and the objects behind the shadows. Initially, he is blinded by the light; afterwards, his eyes adjust in time to see the outside world (Plato 80). Plato presents yet another scenario. The freed prisoner goes back to the cave (Plato 81). This time, he is blinded by the darkness; his exposure to the light made him this way. In the instance that he was to discriminate against the darkness, the other prisoners would consider him crazy (Plato 81). They would not understand him, as all they know are the shadows that they see. If the remaining prisoners in the cave can take a hold of the prisoner who has returned, the former would kill the latter. The Allegory of the Cave tries to illustrate how human limitations can blur the lines between reality and illusion. The allegory presents an analogy of how Plato perceives the limitation of man. The prisoners in the allegory represent humans. The prisoners have been bound since the beginning; their eyes have been limited to see only shadows. Because it is the only thing they see, it becomes reality for them. The objects behind the curtain wall represent reality, while the shadows are merely illusions. Under the given conditions, the prisoners consider the shadows as the real things. Humans are like the prisoners. The human body limits an individuals ability to determine between reality and illusion. From the beginning, a humans perception of reality is distorted by his sensory experiences. What is real for him is that which he has experienced from his senses, just as the shadows were considered reality by the prisoners. There is a resistance by the prisoners to embrace reality which can be found in the last scenario given by Plato. In the instance that a prisoner who had seen the outside world would return to the cave and tell the other prisoners the real story behind the shadows, he would be perceived as a fool and might even be killed in the process. The reason behind this is that only the freed prisoner is aware of the truth; everybody else is still bound to their ignorance. If the freed prisoner was to relay what he had seen to the others, the prisoners would not believe him. How can the prisoners believe his stories when all they can see are the shadows? The shadows are all they experience; it is the only reality available for them. To hear a testimony of another experience would surely be met with opposition. The knowledge of the freed prisoner would make him appear insane; the others would assume that the world beyond the cave has damaged his eyes (Plato 81). The so-called damage would then d iscourage the others from breaking free of their bondage and would render freedom from the cave as an unworthy endeavor (Plato 81). There is a reason why the remaining prisoners do not want to see the outside world. There is a reason why they do not want to know the truth. For most of their lives, the shadows have been reality for them. It is all they know as true. They have long held such perception that to do otherwise would be extremely difficult. When the freed prisoner tells them the truth, they are challenged. It is almost an insult for the prisoners to have their long held belief questioned. The prisoners do not want to know the truth because the experience would be similar to what the freed prisoner experienced. In the beginning, the freed prisoner was blinded by reality; it took time for his eyes to adjust to reality. For the remaining prisoners, to know the truth would also be a blinding experience. It will take a long time for them to break free from their illusions and adjust their eyes to reality. The cave is their comfort zone; there is much hesitation in their part to leave it for the outside world . This is the reason why the prisoners do not want to know the truth. They want to spare themselves from a blinding experience. In a way, the situation is similar to humans. Humans are bound to their sensory experiences and to the illusions that these experiences provide. However, the senses do not suffice in providing people an access to reality. Therefore, one must go beyond the senses and illusions to reach reality. The only way one can experience reality is through reason (Plato 82). In the allegory, the prisoner was only immersed in reality when he was free from the cave. Reality was only experienced by the prisoner when he went to the outside world and discovered the real story behind the shadows and reflections. In this case, humans can only experience reality through the use of reason. Plato believed that people can only grasp reality if reason was involved. People should not rely on their senses to know the truth; thinking is more important than using the senses. The importance of thinking is the reason why some people find it easier to retain their illusions. They mostly rely on their senses, even t hough it presents inaccurate information. Thinking would force them to go beyond what they thought is true; instead of their senses, they would have to resort to reason. The transition from senses to reason would be similar to the prisoners dilemma: the adjustment from darkness to light. Platos Allegory of the Cave is an illustration of the problematic distinction between reality and illusion. It represents how people can mistake illusion for reality given the limitations their bodies provide. In the allegory, the prisoners represent the people. Their sense of reality is false, as their eyes only allow them to accept illusion as the real thing. It is only when they can come out into the outside world they can they truly experience reality. For humans, the physical world only presents illusions. Their senses can grasp these illusions as reality. Plato believes that reason should be used to truly experience reality. Hence, the problem between reality and illusion can only be resolved through the use of reason. Work Cited Authors last name, authors first name. Title of the book. Place of Publication: Publisher, Year of Publication.

Sample of Comparative Essay for School

Sample of Comparative Essay for SchoolA sample of comparative essay for school is an essential tool in learning to write essays. The style of writing that students learn at school will influence how they view their writing skills as adults. For this reason, the teacher or college instructor who is grading the student's essay should be very careful when evaluating the student's essay and his or her use of language. At times, a teacher may feel that the student's writing style is too formal or too informal.To ensure that the student receives an A, the instructor should assign a high-school composition grade and provide the student with the grade for the sample of comparative essay for school. If the student had poor essay writing, the instructor should add in some extra time to complete the assignment. In addition, the student should be required to write the essay three times.Each year, the school curriculum may change. Therefore, the student should be provided with updated samples of comparative essay for school from time to time. The additional lessons may require additional work on the part of the student.In order to ensure that the student achieves a passing grade, he or she should receive feedback from the instructor, both written and verbal. When the essay is published, it must be proofread by someone other than the author. This person should be knowledgeable in editing, proofreading, and the use of spell check.For oral feedback, the instructor should interview the author in person. In addition, the teacher should also interview the other people who worked on the project, including the writer, who worked independently. By asking questions and reviewing the results of the process, the instructor can improve his or her own skill as a writer.Another factor to consider is the quality of the essay. Inorder to write an essay that stands out from the other essays, the sample of comparative essay for school should show one's unique style of writing. It is important to think about what type of audience is intended by the essay.Students who are writing essays for school should be provided with a list of questions to ask about the topics that are included in the essay. Also, the student should be provided with a list of research material for the essay and examples of what information is to be used. By giving the student some examples, the instructor can help the student to research the topic.Finally, the essay that is given to the student for a particular class may not be the same essay that he or she has to write for a different class. In order to write a sample of comparative essay for school, the student should be encouraged to use his or her own creativity and style. After all, a student's coursework should be completed in a timely manner.