Plato’s Allegory of the Cave EXPLAINED | The Republic

Plato's allegory of the cave is arguably the most famous philosophical story ever written, coming from arguably the most famous work of philosophy ever written, The Republic. It's generally accepted among scholars that it's supposed to represent Plato's theory of forms and our philosophical education leading to discovery of these forms. However, probably due to it's widespread applicability, many people can take plato's allegory and create their own interpretations. We have all made some life-changing discovery in our lives at sometime and we can apply that discovery to Plato's story.
#philosophy #plato #history

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[georgewillemin]

The meme of "may I have some of your oats brother" brought me here. Towards the end of the video, one says to the other "you cannot handle the blinding light of the truth so you scurry back to your cave", it just really reminded me of this allegory

[mc-ds]

thank you so much for this, philosophy is definitely not my cup of tea but this essay sure does have a due date!

[AaronVoght]

Great video welcome to my collection of youtubers. . . One note though you stopped halfway through the allegory I think the important part of what Plato is saying comes next the responsibility of the philosopher to go back in the cave to tell everyone else and what comes of that. Just my not so humble opinion. Thanks again for a great video!!!

[antoniom]

This is the first video I have seen from PhilosophyToons and I am now a subscriber. Well put together video.

[stevenfrasier]

Black Elk said what we believe to be reality is but a mere shadow of the spirit world.

[reddykilowatt]

Unanswered by the theory of forms is at what level do they begin in terms of generality to which specific things take their structure. For example, with a Christmas tree the form could rest at the level of “stuff”, plant, tree, evergreen tree, fir tree, Douglas fir. It seems arbitrary where to begin the relationship of form to object.

[leramda]

It’s also like that German shepherd dog study, where they locked the dog in the cage, after the experiment when they opened the gate the dog wouldn’t leave. Martin Seligman, an American psychologist, developed his Learned Helplessness Theory with a classical conditioning experiment using dogs. The conditioned dogs learned to accept their fate and do not do anything to try and change the situation, even when a solution was easily accessible.

[cjortiz]

Great video as always, Paul, but I do miss that nostalgic 'A PhilosophyToons Presentation' graphic (I know its a solid throwback reference, but to what, I can't remember).

Can you describe why you favor the CDC Reeve translation? Perhaps you could comment on the accessibility and accuracy.

I think this allegory works best in describing the helpful and harmful social dynamics involved as individuals interact within and across cultures. It even works for an intellectually honest person coming to terms with their conceptual blindspots as they interact with nature. I'd argue that the most tenable explanation would come from aligning Aristotles 4 causes, for example this story shows how insight into the efficient cause guides the person to reject the popular beliefs that they used to share with their friends. The allegory ends with supposing the person returns to share his insight, only to be mocked and possibly even killed. Such was the fate for Galileo, Socrates, and supposedly a disciple of Pythagoras who discovered irrational numbers. The allegory works well for lots of things, and while sometimes I wonder just what it would take to get some popular cavemen to go out to see things for how they really are, in many areas I must admit that I too am quite a caveman.

[bergen_exe]

New streamer type that watches shadows on walls and sometimes asks "Chat is this real"

[Hades..._]

Good video bro, Ty for the explanation it helped.

[Inuzika]

I do really love this but the more and more I get into learning this I can't help but feel like this is trying to justify why philosophers are simply... better. Probably just my internal philosophy coming out there but truly, he's calling anyone who lacks the courage to withstand the blinding light of truth long enough to develop understanding, a shmuck chained up in a cave.

[troymccall]

While I think this is a fine video, I do feel it's important to note your omission of Plato's philosophy of mathematics. It's true that the Allegory of the Cave has multiple valid interpretations rooted in metaphysics and epistemology, Plato uses the Allegory to set up his discussion on the importance of mathematics in the education of his philosopher-kings. To illustrate my point, consider this passage found at the bottom of page 232 of the Republic, Book 7 (Cambridge Texts In The History of Political Thought, translated by Tom Griffith).

Socrates: "'In a case like this the soul within him would be driven in its confusion to start searching. It would arouse the capacity for reflection within itself, and ask it what the one itself actually was. In this way studying the one would be one of those things which lead and direct us towards the contemplation of what is.'
Glaucon: 'Right, and seeing the one does have exactly this effect. After all, we are can see the same thing, at one and the same time, both as one and also as an infinite number.'
Socrates: Well, if this is true of the one, I said, 'is it not also true of number in general?'
Glaucon: 'Yes, of course.'
Socrates: 'And arithmetic and the theory of number are exclusively concerned with number.'
Glaucon: 'Absolutely.'
Socrates: 'Clearly, then, the study of the number is conducive to truth.'
Glaucon: 'To a remarkable degree.' "

Needless to say, mathematics is crucial to the allegory of the cave. Also, I don't know how you can also talk about Plato's Theory of Forms without mentioning mathematics. I mean Platonism is quite literally an ideology found within the philosophy of mathematics.

By the way, for any viewer writing an essay on this (or simply wants to be more informed) that asks for a counter to Plato's Theory of Forms, it has a name (which is not mentioned in this video): intuitionism. Intuitionism fundamentally stipulates that all mathematics is ultimately a construct of the human mind, or that mathematics is created, not discovered (a product of our own intuition).

This tells me that you either (1) never actually read the entirety of Book 7 as its evident that it concerns mathematics and its role in education "to a remarkable degree, " and/or (2) you just don't know philosophy in general.

[baileygrundy]

I've always had this sentiment towards a non-secular form of religion or spirituality. Kind of like biblically accurate angels appearing in an almost unfathomable form. Yet in Renaissance art cherubs (cherubim) are described as these intense and strange entities so far beyond comprehension that they're almost 4-dimensional, kaleidoscope-esque, forms of eyes, rings, light, and wings.
"Be not afraid." It seems so on the nose I almost HAVE to believe Plato was alluding to religion and the cosmos.
10/10 story.

[dianewallace]

I liked the hierarchy of shadows, actual things, Sun. To me, shadows are like digital tech, actual things are people, plants, animals, nature then the Sun is like the Creator or Sustainer (of life on the Earth). Of course, there is a larger solar system, galaxy universe etc. but that doesn't really affect us unless there is a Supernova. In college, I had to write a essay on "Does anything really matter?" and I wrote something like this and got a C. My friend wrote that Love is all that matters and got an A. I was a Chemistry major and she was a Russian language major.

[seraphscoal]

I grew up in a charismatic christian environment, very cult-like. I didn't really question anything taught to me in that environment until I was in my 20's, and that process of stepping out and seeing things for myself is always what I think about when I engage with The Cave. The idle watching, the piercing light, and the revelation. Love your videos!

[vincenterskine]

Personally I believe the hierarchy is as follows:

On the lowest level you have the shadows
On the second level you have the statues and figurines of things that are being used to cast the shadows. Then on the highest level are the actual things themselves not just mere invitations... Reality is meant to be fully experienced, unfortunately we are often misguided the illusions

[CavexDwellers]

We need to be open to everything, but consider everything, then make our decision based on what we believe.

[ThelmaDavis-fu]

The Plato's allegory in the cave is about racism and slavery. There is a lot more to that allegory in the cave as well The parable of the life, than you will ever imagine. Check out this book called, The mind Then and Now, : in the heart of chaos. Coming out within the next 2mths.

[j]

The movie the Matrix.
Also - the Cave is really an allegory of Socrates death.
Also - the Cave is a narrative on cultural brain washing.

[Taco]

I just broke my but i will say that this world has a lot of lazy thinkers who tell you to stop overthinking. Is there really such a thing as overthinking?