September 28, 2014
Period 3
Discussion questions for Plato’s Allegory of the Cave
1. How do the prisoners react when they first see sunlight? Why?
When the prisoners first see the sunlight they are pained. They have never seen the sunlight before because they have been chained in the cave since childhood.
2. What does Plato’s cave tell us about what we see with our eyes?
Plato’s cave tells us that we only see illusions. Everything that we see in the cave in most likely incorrect and made-up with our eyes.
3. Describe other "caves" in modern life in which people might be "imprisoned" or feel “imprisoned".
Other “caves” in modern life in which people might be or feel “imprisoned” is school or work. Students and employees feel “imprisoned because they are “chained” to their commitment to going. The students and employees do not necessarily want to go to school or work, but they have to. Once they see the “light” they do not want to go back, like the prisoner who escaped.
4. If the liberated prisoner goes back to the cave and tries to explain to his former fellow prisoners, what kind of reaction will he get? Why?
If the liberated prisoner goes back to the cave and tries to explain to his former fellow prisoners, he would not want to go back into the darkness. After seeing the light, the liberated prisoner would not want to go back to the cave.
5. To what extent do you find the point about human tendency to confuse "shadows" with "reality" relevant today?
When someone is big-headed or cocky, it is hard for that person to see reality because the person is stuck on believing in the “shadows”. Once the person learns to become humble, the person stops being ignorant and sees the reality in the sunlight.
6. In society today or in your own life, what sorts of things shackle the mind?
In my own life, stress and negativity shackle my mind. When I am stressed, it is hard for me to focus on what I am doing. Especially learning a dance or doing homework, stress limits the amount of information that travels to my brain. If I am being negative, like saying I cannot do something, it puts my mindset on a pessimistic route to failure. Once I believe in myself, I become more likely for success.
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