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Objective Truth In Plato's Allegory Of The Cave

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Truth is often a term that is taken into consideration when one is verbally speaking, but most find it rather difficult to truly define truth. While every person can attempt to uniquely give their own interpretation to what the world regards as truth, the realm of philosophy presents several brilliants ideas about the concept. In general, the study of philosophy recognizes two truths: objective and subjective. Objective truth can be described as truth that has always existed whether one knows it or not, while subjective truth is dependent on the person’s ideas and feelings towards a reality. Influential and well-known philosophers such as Mortimer J. Adler and Plato have contributed thoughts that often present similar ideas about the definition …show more content…

Plato tells of a group of prisoners held in a dark cave chained to the walls. These people have never stepped outside into the world and can only experience shadows that are displayed on the opposite side of the cave through the light outside of the cave. One of the slaves, now liberated steps outside of the cave and is able to experience reality, or what we can distinguish as objective truth. After returning to explain to the other what he has seen there seems to be quite a difference in opinions(Plato). In his article Plato’s Cave, T.F Morris attempts to dissect Plato’s allegory and explains his belief that “… the shadows on the wall of the cave correspond to what we call reality…(Morris 417)” As Adler previously stated objective truth exists whether or not the human being has experienced it, in this instance the forms that cast shadows while passing by the cave. It can be inferred that both Adler and Morris agree that the negative response of the remaining prisoners in the cave towards stepping out and experiencing reality is a subjective truth and depends on the opinion of each prisoner, thereby belonging to the sphere of taste. Plato is able to present a situation in which both objective and subjective truth can cause a rift in the relationships that human beings can …show more content…

Kemerling, Garth. Philosophical Dictionary: Tillich-Types, www.philosophypages.com/dy/t9.htm#truth. 2. Morris, T. F. "Plato 's Cave." South African Journal of Philosophy, vol. 28, no. 4, Nov. 2009, pp. 415-432. EBSCOhost, dcccd.idm.oclc.org/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=48656660&site=ehost-live. 3. Plato. “Plato 's Analogies of the Divided Line and Cave.” HCC Learning Web, Houston Community College, learning.hccs.edu/faculty/christina.hemati/phil1301/readings/plato-divided-line-sun-and-cave-analogy. 4. “The Pursuit of Truth.” Six Great Ideas, by Mortimer Jerome Adler, 1st ed., Simon & Schuster, 1997, pp. 56–63. Accessed 1. Baghramian, Maria and Carter, J. Adam, "Relativism", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Summer 2017 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL = (-- removed HTML --) . 2. Mulhall, Stephen. "Nietzsche 's Style of Address: A Response to Christopher Janaway 's beyond Selflessness." European Journal of Philosophy, vol. 17, no. 1, Mar. 2009, pp. 121-131. EBSCOhost,

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