What is truly real? That is the question that is being discussed by Plato and Augustine. Plato addresses this question by creating the “world of forms” to be the true reality. Augustine, being a devout Christian, determines that God is the true reality. Plato and Augustine have very distinct and fundamental differences in their worldviews as is evident in what they hold to be true reality. Plato and Augustine’s views regarding their worldviews are in essence the same but they arrive at separate conclusions as to what is the true reality of this world. In “The Allegory of the Cave” Plato bases his concept of what is true reality around the world of the Forms. Plato outlines how this realm of the Forms as the ultimate truth. He describes a cave full of people who only are able to see shadows and are unable to view the actual objects. Only when one is cut loose from their chains is he able to see that the shadow is not real. He then ventures outside the cave only to be blinded by the reality that he sees there. Upon return to the cave the others would undoubtedly scoff and most likely kill the person who had seen the true reality. The idea Plato is attempting to convey that what we can perceive with our senses is not the true reality. In The Apology Plato reinforces this idea by showing how people cannot be wise unless …show more content…
The Apology outlines how no one person is truly wise because our world is changing and knowledge is relative. Augustine agrees when he shows how he longed for wisdom through study but found that only God was truly wise and wisdom is only found through Him. Plato even suggests in his Allegory of the Cave that even if it were possible to completely understand the realm of Forms then we would be blinded and unable to comprehend what we were being told is true. This lack of understanding in the higher form correlates with the Christian idea of being unable to understand