Plato's Allegory Of The Cave

In the reason stage, the individual uses philosophical dialect to create a hypothesis, then using only the hypothesis the individual arrives at his conclusion. This is basically the process of how the individual reaches full understanding of the Form of the Good. This is the highest form of knowledge an individual can reach, and those who reach this stage have proven that their desires are pure because only the true philosopher can desire strictly truth and knowledge. Thus, this specific philosopher is the only type of king that can rule justly and reasonably. Lastly, in the allegory of the cave Plato eloquently demonstrates the effect of education on the human condition. Plato uses this allegory to create an illustration of how the individual reacts in the four stages on the

Since imagination is a component of the visible realm, the shadows seem the most real to them because they are the only objects that are visible to them. Then, one member of the group escapes from his shackles and realizes that the statutes and the fire were causing the shadows. This individual reaches the stage of belief by coming to the conclusion that the likeness, or the features of statues ultimately determine characteristics of the shadows. In this stage, the character sees the statues as the most real things because of their likeness. The individual then is dragged into the daylight and sees the Forms, or physical objects. This is the stage of thought because the individual can hypothesize about the Forms and come to a conclusion about the Forms, but his conclusion is drawn from the likeness of the Forms and not the substance of the hypothesis itself. Finally, the individual reaches the final stage of reason when he looks up at the sun, which as I said before symbolizes the Form of the Good. The Form of the Good is the cause of all existence, it is truth, and it is the highest form of knowledge. By understanding the Form of the Good, the individual can reason