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The Good In Plato's The Allegory Of The Cave

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In “The Allegory of the Cave”, Plato concludes that the ultimate definition of “the Good” is the effort to pursue knowledge and the insight which knowledge can provide the blinded mind. In this paper, I will further analyze his definition of “the Good” and my personal views on this definition given by Plato. Through the metaphor of the cave, this definition of “the Good” covers how experiences give knowledge, how knowledge broadens perspective, and how knowledge gives a more moderate perspective which leads to good actions. I believe that through this process knowledge leads people to “the Good” for they must be able to recognize their behaviors before they can accurately judge their actions. I will provide clear examples of each of these points …show more content…

While Plato believes that knowledge is what leads those to “the Good”, he clarifies by saying that knowledge makes people pursue moderate choices of justice, equality, truth and many other virtuous behaviors so they ultimately arrive enlightened to “the Good”. Plato expresses this idea directly in “The Allegory of the Cave”, “In the world of knowledge the idea of good appears last of all, and is seen only with an effort; and, when seen, is also inferred to be the universal author of all things beautiful and right, parent of light and of the lord of light in this visible world, and the immediate source of reason and truth in the intellectual; and that this is the power upon which he who would act rationally, either in public or private life must have his eye fixed” (pg 3, p 6). Plato is stating that with knowledge grants the capability to be good, and once this is realized the use of knowledge must be directed towards pursuing “the Good”. With rationality, the knowledgeable are able to make moderate decisions in all aspects of their lives. Aristotle believes this perception of “the Good” to be unattainable because Plato does not relate it to the physical world thusly it is irrelevant to the ethics of humans, but Plato contorts with the idea that the actions of the man are what distinguish the definition of “the Good”. Based on Plato’s theory, knowledge allows people to use this definition to base their ethics and pursue “the Good” through practice. As in the metaphor of the story, the man who has been exposed to the light feels remorse when he thinks of the people in the cave living their lives among the dark so he returns to them to spread the truth of light. While they seem to be harsh towards his beliefs, the people wish to exile him for speaking things of such a foolish nature. The knowledgeable man understands the disparity

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