EC5. Plato's Republic "Allegory of the Cave" - Animated (Early Church 5)

If it helps, plug anyone you disagree with, into the idea of the cave dwellers. Put yourself in the position of a person that comes out of the cave.

Works better if you've "been there and done that." Say, a philosophy you once held, but have now discarded.

Decent "Allegory of the cave" text here:
http://acimexplained.com/platos-allegory-of-the-cave-animated-1/

Follows the video fairly well. Otherwise, the whole text can be downloaded online for free here:

http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1497

Or can be read online here:

Book 7
http://www.literaturepage.com/read/therepublic-255.html

This video may or may not contain images under copyright. Use of these images in this video are for the purpose of education or criticism, and fall under "Fair Use" US Copyright Act of 1976, 17 U.S.C. § 107

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[Jaybird196]

This was a beautiful cartoon. I really liked the message about the task of the "enlightened man", and the way the cave-dwellers lived in the darkness of ignorance.

[Xoroaster]

@Jaybird196 I like that concept to.  And he puts it in an "idea"-related context, where its just part of a duty to the "greater good" to bring more people out of the cave.

It becomes problematic, however, when the idea of "who is in the cave" is introduced. Everyone thinks they have enlightenment, and therefore, has a duty to head back into the cave. it borders on Proselytization.

[38dragoon38]

What a great argument against what we call "democracy." The ones that control public perception and, therefore, public policy, are the shadow puppet masters.

[Mr131211109876543210]

They will say there were three, the fourth of them being their dog; and they will say there were five, the sixth of them being their dog - guessing at the unseen; and they will say there were seven, and the eighth of them was their dog. Say, [O Muhammad], "My Lord is most knowing of their number. None knows them except a few. So do not argue about them except with an obvious argument and do not inquire about them among [the speculators] from anyone." ~the Qur'an

[albeaver89]

Sounds like a result of oppresive third parties.

[CiliosX]

Its like my senior year of high school all over again

[MacNutz2]

@jmm1233 That is a most interesting observation. In deed, there are numerous parallels.

[jmm1233]

THX1138 seems like a modern version of this tale right to the moment of entering into the above and facing the sun

[Tincuradan]

Would not whole tribes of the uneducated be spellbound into stupidity by this new symbolic language? Would there not emerge a new class of "Readers" who would sit in darkness, studying scrolls from far away lands by candlelight? Would they not be perceived as imprisoned shadows of the real by Free Greeks? Of course, to make them take notice, one must use the medium most likely to get their attention, even if it's slightly hypocritical to do so.

[Tincuradan]

People are sharing their views on the allegory, I'd like to add a private concept, in which this allegory is a recursive criticism of interpretation of writing in general. Sophists are everywhere, some honest, some not. Consider the fact that the alphabet is rather new, reading about other cultures is the craze, and the first foreign propaganda is developed, most likely by the Egyptians. Consider the inflammatory and divisive effect some old texts still have. (cont'd)

[Xoroaster]

@markdzima Thank you for that. I can't say Plato is necessarily a strength of mine. I can fudge it, and I really had not considered the effect it could have on other religions, until recently.

Mental photism. I had not considered that, and that's highly interesting. There's a lot more here, that I'm aware of. That's for sure.

[markdzima]

@markdzima (cont'd) I see the allegory of the cave as a statement about the value of "mystical" experience, as opposed experience of the natural world. The contemplation of the sun directly, is the contemplation of a mental photism which is Plato's idea of the true Divine. He's part of the religious tradition that led to Plotinus's NeoPlatonism, certain doctrines of Gnosticism, and, yes, ideas that show up in the Gospel of John. I intend to do a video series of my own on this eventually.