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Plato's Allegory Of The Cave

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What I studied: Method and Metaphysics in Plato's Sophist and Statesman First published Thu Oct 6, 2005; substantive revision Wed Feb 26, 2020 The Sophist and Statesman are late Platonic dialogues, whose relative dates are established by their stylistic similarity to the Laws, a work that was apparently still "on the wax" at the time of Plato's death (Diogenes Laertius 3.37). These dialogues are important in exhibiting Plato's views on method and metaphysics after he criticized his own most famous contribution to the history of philosophy, the theory of separate, immaterial forms in the Parmenides. The Statesman also offers a transitional statement of Plato's political philosophy between the Republic and the Laws. The Sophist and Statesman show the author's increasing interest in mundane and practical knowledge. In this respect they seem more down-to-earth and Aristotelian in tone than dialogues dated to What I still remember: Plato was a wrestler
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About • Origin • Spread • Various Examples • Search Interest • External References • Recent Images

About

Plato's Allegory of the Cave refers to a philosophical metaphor proposed by Socrates in Plato's Republic. It compares three tiers of understanding to levels of a cave. The allegory has been widely referenced in culture for centuries for how it describes the pursuit of knowledge. Online, it has been referenced in various meme templates.

Origin

Plato's Republic, where the allegory appears, was written in roughly 375 BCE. In Republic, Plato has Socrates explain the allegory to Plato's brother. Socrates describes prisoners chained to a wall in a cave, forced to look at shadows on the wall. With no other frame of reference, the prisoners believe the shadows are real life. However, behind the prisoners are fire and people carrying objects casting the shadows. Behind these people are the sun itself and the outside world. In the allegory, a prisoner escapes and discovers the people casting shadows. He is then dragged to the outside world where he sees the sun. The sun at first blinds him but he grows accustomed to it. Upon returning to the cave, his eyes adjusted to the sun's light, he cannot see. Other prisoners believe him blind and do not believe his tales of the outside world.

In the allegory, the prisoners represent society, where most people are comfortable believing that which they can see in front of them and not wonder about elements beyond that. The prisoner who escapes represents philosophers attempting to understand how the world works. The sun represents pure fact and absolute truth.[1]

Spread

The allegory has been widely referenced in popular culture and scholarly texts in the millennia since it was published. The Matrix, for example, has been cited as being inspired by the allegory.[2] Online, the allegory has appeared in numerous meme templates. For example, a philosoraptor referencing the cave appeared on Cheezburger[3] on February 23rd, 2012 (shown below, left). A Baneposting edit was posted to Imgur[4] by user Dieslrae0105 on December 30th, 2015 (shown below, right).


WHAT IF A GROUNDHOG LIVED IN PLATO'S CAVE. AND SHADOWS WERE ALL IT EVER SAW? ICANHASCHEEZEURGER.COM
if I take you out of that cave will you die? it would be extremely enlightening you're a wise guy For you.

In the later 2010s and early 2020s, most edits referencing Plato's Cave used the visual representation for jokes. For example, on May 25th, 2020, Telegram user dadoem[5] posted an Are Ya Winning Son? edit, gaining over 12,000 likes (shown below, left). On December 18th, 2018, Twitter user @SlayerRules_420[6] posted the cave as part of the Guys Live In Apartments Like This meme, gaining over 1,300 retweets and 7,000 likes (shown below, right).

THE CAVE F ARE YA' WINNIN' SON? TVE ROADWAY DIFFUSED DAYUGNT THE ROUOH ASCENT TO SUNLIOHT
Serco Takes The Square @SlayerRules 420 Follow ) guys literally live in apartments like this and don't see the problemm 4:18 AM- 17 Dec 2018

Various Examples

memesmemes ONo
1eCroie
You know theyre just shadows, right? Come with me outside the cave, Tl show you what it's really like. QUIT HAVING FUN
CN
Plato's Rave

Search Interest

External References

[1] Washington – Allegory of the Cave

[2] Article Asylum – The Philosophy of the Matrix Part I The Allegory of the Cave

[3] Cheezburger – WHAT IF A GROUNDHOG LIVED IN PLATO'S CAVE… AND SHADOWS WERE ALL IT EVER SAW?

[4] Imgur – Allegory of the Cave – Bane Version

[5] Telegram – eternal classic

[6] Twitter – SlayerRules_420

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famous allegory by philosopher plato used in meme templates

Plato's Allegory Of The Cave

Part of a series on Philosophy. [View Related Entries]

Updated Jul 15, 2020 at 03:30PM EDT by Adam.

Added Jul 15, 2020 at 02:00PM EDT by Adam.

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About

Plato's Allegory of the Cave refers to a philosophical metaphor proposed by Socrates in Plato's Republic. It compares three tiers of understanding to levels of a cave. The allegory has been widely referenced in culture for centuries for how it describes the pursuit of knowledge. Online, it has been referenced in various meme templates.

Origin

Plato's Republic, where the allegory appears, was written in roughly 375 BCE. In Republic, Plato has Socrates explain the allegory to Plato's brother. Socrates describes prisoners chained to a wall in a cave, forced to look at shadows on the wall. With no other frame of reference, the prisoners believe the shadows are real life. However, behind the prisoners are fire and people carrying objects casting the shadows. Behind these people are the sun itself and the outside world. In the allegory, a prisoner escapes and discovers the people casting shadows. He is then dragged to the outside world where he sees the sun. The sun at first blinds him but he grows accustomed to it. Upon returning to the cave, his eyes adjusted to the sun's light, he cannot see. Other prisoners believe him blind and do not believe his tales of the outside world.

In the allegory, the prisoners represent society, where most people are comfortable believing that which they can see in front of them and not wonder about elements beyond that. The prisoner who escapes represents philosophers attempting to understand how the world works. The sun represents pure fact and absolute truth.[1]

Spread

The allegory has been widely referenced in popular culture and scholarly texts in the millennia since it was published. The Matrix, for example, has been cited as being inspired by the allegory.[2] Online, the allegory has appeared in numerous meme templates. For example, a philosoraptor referencing the cave appeared on Cheezburger[3] on February 23rd, 2012 (shown below, left). A Baneposting edit was posted to Imgur[4] by user Dieslrae0105 on December 30th, 2015 (shown below, right).


WHAT IF A GROUNDHOG LIVED IN PLATO'S CAVE. AND SHADOWS WERE ALL IT EVER SAW? ICANHASCHEEZEURGER.COM if I take you out of that cave will you die? it would be extremely enlightening you're a wise guy For you.


In the later 2010s and early 2020s, most edits referencing Plato's Cave used the visual representation for jokes. For example, on May 25th, 2020, Telegram user dadoem[5] posted an Are Ya Winning Son? edit, gaining over 12,000 likes (shown below, left). On December 18th, 2018, Twitter user @SlayerRules_420[6] posted the cave as part of the Guys Live In Apartments Like This meme, gaining over 1,300 retweets and 7,000 likes (shown below, right).


THE CAVE F ARE YA' WINNIN' SON? TVE ROADWAY DIFFUSED DAYUGNT THE ROUOH ASCENT TO SUNLIOHT Serco Takes The Square @SlayerRules 420 Follow ) guys literally live in apartments like this and don't see the problemm 4:18 AM- 17 Dec 2018

Various Examples


memesmemes ONo 1eCroie You know theyre just shadows, right? Come with me outside the cave, Tl show you what it's really like. QUIT HAVING FUN CN Plato's Rave

Search Interest

External References

[1] Washington – Allegory of the Cave

[2] Article Asylum – The Philosophy of the Matrix Part I The Allegory of the Cave

[3] Cheezburger – WHAT IF A GROUNDHOG LIVED IN PLATO'S CAVE… AND SHADOWS WERE ALL IT EVER SAW?

[4] Imgur – Allegory of the Cave – Bane Version

[5] Telegram – eternal classic

[6] Twitter – SlayerRules_420

Related Entries 2 total

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Recent Images 27 total


Top Comments

Ten Shadows
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Ten Shadows

My favourite part is when you say you've been outside the metaphorical cave and that you know the truth about something that the rest of us don't – but in reality you're just an asshole.

And it's often tricky to tell the difference.

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Icecane
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Icecane

Weird how the first time I've seen this referenced was during Mandaloregaming's Eye Divine Cybermancy review.

Good enough allegory, but I guess flawed in the sense that there are people that willingly believe nonsense when there is no inherent truth or even proof to it.

"The Earth is flat! Vaccines are literally Hitler in a needle!"

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