Rob's explanation of the divided line was very good, I liked all the distinctions that were made between becoming and being. What was amazing for me to realize is that I truly believe that if an instance like the one in the allegory of the cave was real, then the prisoners would see the shadows and perceive them as being as real as the way I view the world.
This got me thinking that I too, could be living in shadows and I think that is exactly what Plato wants the reader to do, to transcend. Like mentioned in class, maybe our chains are not physical but simply a creation of our own world or our own self. Religion and our view of morality are among many reasons why we cannot leave the cave. If one is too busy then time to philosophize is not present and all we do is keep guessing at the next shadow. Our own religion may have predisposed us to a single minded view of our perception of good, but in reality has only shackled us. We grow and we are taught what morality is, however, it seems that it is something that is always passed down from our parents or another father figure, even religion. Life does not seem to allow for an independent development of morality in this manner. Our parents and religions seem like the puppeteers from the cave. They could be teaching us the good or what they think the good is, but it is up to us to philosophize on our experiences and knowledge to find the real good.
Good thoughts. Remember too that Socrates has someone directing the prisoner out of the cave, so be careful not to think of this as a task that the individual has to accomplish on his or her own. Socrates understood that the individual needed direction (just look how intense the education of the guardians is), to ask the right sort of questions and develop the right view of themselves. Of course, the teacher can't discover the truth FOR the individual, but philosophy is not done in isolation, for Soc. That said, it's important to consider that some philosophers have thought of their particular TRADITION (e.g. the Christian tradition) as the community that guides them to the truth.
ReplyDelete