RI Plato-Caveallegory Reading

R KI Y5 Term 2/Weeks 3-5 Sources of Knowledge 1 Reading: Plato’s Myth of the Cave (514-517) The passage below is an excerpt from Book VII of The Republic of Plato. According to Dr. Allan Bloom, a Plato scholar, The Myth of the Cave is usually the part of The Republic that leaves the greatest impression on students. It is perhaps the most famous image in the history of Western philosophy because it deals not only with knowledge, but it also refers to science, politics, psychology, education, theology – all rolled into one. In this dialogue, Socrates speaks with two young friends, Adeimantus and Glaucon who are brothers of Plato. But only Glaucon and Socrates are heard speaking. In the text below, words in regular font are spoken by Socrates, while the words in italics are spoken by Glaucon. For more background information on Plato and The Republic, here are two useful online sources: http://www.hope.edu/academic/ids/171/Republic.html (on The Republic) and http://www.utm.edu/research/iep/p/plato.htm (on Plato). Socrates 514 To clarify the nature of knowledge, and our desire for knowledge, I would like you to think about the following image: Now, imagine men living in a sort of underground cave. On one side of the cave, there is an exit that runs to the outside and the light, but it is a long way up. 5 The men have been there since childhood, necks and legs chained so that they remain in place and can only see straight ahead. Their restraints prevent them from turning their heads. Light streams down from a fire burning far behind and above them. Between the fire and the prisoners, some distance back and somewhat higher up, a path runs across the width of the cave, in front of which stands a low wall, built like the front of a puppet theater, as if to conceal 10 the bodies of performers who will show their puppets along the top. - OK, I think I can see it. 515 Then see also how men are carrying along the wall – so that these things appear above it – all sorts of objects: statues of men, of animals, made of stone, of wood, fashioned in various 15 ways. And, just as would be expected, some of these carriers are talking while others are silent.

R KI Y5 Term 2/Weeks 3-5 Sources of Knowledge 2 - This is a strange picture, and strange prisoners. They are like us. Do you think, first of all, that such men could see any more of themselves and each other than their shadows, cast by the fire onto the wall of the cave in front of them? 20 - How could they, if their heads are locked into position all their lives? And would you say that the men wouldn’t be able to see the objects carried along the wall either? - Yes. If they could talk to each other, don’t you think the names they attached to these shadows 25 would be taken for names of the real things? – Necessarily. What if their prison had an echo which reaches them off the front wall?