Plato’s Cave Assignment, Essay Example

Everyone understands the world in his or her own way. Our knowledge of the reality is based not only on what we experience and learn, but also on what the society makes us believe in. It seems that today people are blinded by fear, religion, and what is accepted as the “social norms”. “The problem is, they have forgotten what they truly feel, in order to act in a way they are suppose to feel”. (Stutz). But that is surely not the way things should be.

The “Allegory of the Cave” by Plato represents an extended metaphor that is to contrast the way in which we perceive and believe in what is reality. People live in cave and can see only the shadows of the objects and other people. They cannot move their heads and see what is behind. But what will happen if somebody manages to see the reality? Will he believe in it?  I think nobody knows the answer to this question. Everything depends on a person. Of course it is really hard to make others think the way you do, but it is almost impossible to come into position you occupied before.

As an example we can think about the stereotypes we see on television, movies, and even books. Not long ago I was sure that all Muslims were terrorists. Since I have moved to a bigger place with multinational population I think totally different. I got acquainted with many Muslims. Some of them became my friends. But whenever I tell about this to my friends they do not understand. And they will never do. Stereotypes are always used to determine a certain type of person, nationality or religion. But they are not the things we should blindly follow.

In essence, we are all living in Plato’s cave, and if we always study and seek knowledge, we will continuously be enlightening ourselves. If we stay where we are intellectually and do not seek knowledge and truth, it will be as if we are in the cave again. “We need to break away from the wall, stereotypes and fight our way past the fire and out to the world to see things as they really are.”(Weiss)

Work Cited

Stutz, Nicole. ”A reflection upon Plato’s an “Allegory of a cave”08 Apr.2009. < http://www.sierrabear.com/home/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=183:a-reflection-upon-platos-an-qallegory-of-a-caveq&catid=51:opinion&Itemid=70>

Weiss, Jeniffer. ”Can Plato’s Allegory of the Cave be applied to Today?”18 Jan.2008 <http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/535949/can_platos_allegory_of_the_cave_be_pg2.html>