The Allegory of the Cave

There were several things that really stood out to me in Plato's Allegory. The first is how different Plato's topics and ideas are compared to all of the previous Greek philosophers we have studied. Their ideas focus on the makeup and origin of the objective natural world and immaterial world. Plato's primary concern in this allegory is the improvement and betterment of man's soul by reorienting it towards the good. This is radically different and shifts the attention away from the gods of the Homeric tradition and towards something greater which contains the good. It is more applicable to the every day lives of the reader and shares valuable wisdom that transcends time and culture. Even readers today can still gain wisdom of how to act and better themselves through the allegory by keeping the story in mind when making life decisions.

Another idea that appears quite different and promising is that every human has an intrinsic potentiality to reach the highest good. No longer are we necessarily bound by the limitations of this world. Regardless of ethnicity, class, or sex, our souls can each attain the same ultimate goal. It is in our own nature to want the good and we all have the capability to reach it. This idea is revolutionary and is also an inherently Christian value that can be found throughout the tradition of the church. This allegory can be used as a metaphor for one's pursuit of God. We all have the ability and intrinsic dignity as human rationale creatures to achieve the ultimate end in communion with God and others. We are born in a world of sin and our human condition entraps us in this cave. However, through faith and reason we can all see the light outside the cave and share it with others still blinded by the darkness. This is how I relate the allegory to my life. What is the most important and valuable idea that you get from Plato's allegory of the cave?

-BaylorBear16