"Allegory of the Cave" and Dialogue

Paper Summary:

This paper summarizes and interprets the dialogue in Plato's "Allegory of the Cave". The paper explains the symbolism of the allegory and interprets Plato's message about ignorance and the human ability to achieve knowledge, the travails of a philosopher, invisible truths, and how we should educate people.

From the Paper:

"The allegory of the cave can be summed up in one single sentence. It symbolizes the place of perceptions in the pursuit of knowledge. Indeed, in a preamble to the actual relating of the allegory, Plato is involved in a discussion as to who can be considered a true philosopher. The discussion meanders around attempting to answer the following enigmas: Just because someone subscribes to a specific philosophy, does that make him or her a philosopher? Does a person who indulges in a certain muse that is premised on a philosophy directly or indirectly related to it become a philosopher? Plato goes through pains explaining that a philosopher was (or should be) cut in a different mold. A philosopher, Plato avers, should be able to see beyond what is merely obvious or superficial. A philosopher should see the inner beauty of things and understand, abstractedly, the natural causes of this beauty. In other words, the philosopher should be perceptive."

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