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Intelligence And Ignorance In Plato's Flowers For Algernon

211 Words1 Pages
Flowers for Algernon raises the question of intelligence—namely, is it better to be ignorant or wise? Plato discusses the aspects of intelligence and ignorance in Republic using the cave analogy. Plato’s cave analogy is much like the story of Charlie Gordon: a man who was removed from his cave and brought before the light. Initially, he was blinded by the sunlight (an analogy for enlightenment/knowledge) but gradually came to a new understanding of the world. Those around him fear his new self much like the prisoners who feel that the released prisoner is crazy for his trusted beliefs about the world. He even feels pity for those who are still trapped in the cave of ignorance. Once he loses that intelligence, however, he is brought back into
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