Jessica A. Jenkins Professor Mansuetto Foundation Ethics 21 September 2014 Plato. Republic (Allegory of the Cave and Divided Line) While reading Plato’s Allegory of the Cave and Divided Line you discover that the author is interpreting being human as being just a vessel until knowledge is first introduced to the mind of a being. Throughout the Allegory of the Cave Socrates explains to Glaucon how the philosopher is similar to a prisoner being first released and coming to the realization that the shadows depicted through the imagery on the wall do not constitute reality. They are fictitious or a rather smaller form of a much larger picture. Then in the Divided Line Plato uses Socrates to explain the four basic philosophical idea levels of existence. …show more content…
There he was exposed to real trees and sunlight. The philosopher wanted to go back into the cave because he did not see reality as being real, but the shadows to him as a prisoner were very much real in his eyes. Gazing at the sun he discovers this is where true light comes from. Once he goes back into the cave he desperately tries to convince the other prisoners of a reality other than the one they have known their whole lives. They remain in disbelief of the philosopher. The author is claiming all knowledge to be something that is taught from another’s belief. Plato’s book the Divided Line explains the four levels of existence. He believed that ultimately there were four approaches to knowledge and they were as stated: Level 1: to be guided by imagery/pictures or stories Level 2: to be guided by common sense, trial and error approach Level 3: theoretical, scientific approach such as scientology Level 4: the philosophical approach by evaluation of