Plato's Allegory Of The Cave

Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave,” starts off with the description of three prisoners bound in a way that they cannot move or look in any direction besides the wall directly in front of themselves. The prisoners were born in the cave and have never left it. Behind the prisoners there is a fire with a walkway between them and it. People walk on the walkway carrying things like plants, wood, stone, and animals, the things they carry cast a shadow on the wall. The prisoners have never seen the actual object, just the shadow the object casts. The shadows are real objects to them, but to anyone else they are just shadows. The prisoners would play a game guessing what shadow they would see next, praising the one that guesses correctly. Plato continues

For example, in the “Allegory of the cave,” not all of the prisoners realize that there is a higher level of knowledge than the game of guessing shadows. Similarly, the concept of Maya emphasizes that individuals forget that they are a part of the universe’s spirit. Overall, both concepts refer to the thought of individual’s losing sight of the possibility of a higher knowledge. This is reflected in both cultures’ social structures. Plato’s levels of society in The Republic is practically placing individuals in a level of society based on their virtues (“Plato”). Plato has three tiers in his organization, the rulers, the soldiers, and the rest of the people. People in Plato’s organization would be tested to see which class they belong in (Williams, “Justice”). For example, if someone felt they could be a ruler, they would be tested to see if they have achieved the right knowledge to be a ruler, if they pass their test, then they would become a ruler. The Hindu caste system reflects the views of Maya, in that everyone forgets they are part of Brahmin. The caste system is organized into four castes, Brahmins or priests, Kshatriyas or warriors and rulers, Vaisyas or artisans, Sudras or unskilled workers, and Chandalas or untouchables (V, Jayaram). In the caste system it is impossible to move up or down, an individual is stuck where they are born. Both systems reflect their views, the caste system does not allow individuals to change their caste because it is irrelevant where they are in society because everyone is a part of Brahmin. In Plato’s system of organization individuals are able to change what tier they belong in because individuals can gain a higher knowledge with enough