Response to Plato by Group 6 (Kevin, Duy, Ben, Scott)

Summary:
In Plato’s ‘the allegory of the cave’, a cave full of restrained prisoners is used as a metaphor for those who are not enlightened. The combination of echoes and shadows of the ‘puppets’ are interpreted as actual voices and human figures. The ‘prisoners’ are convinced that these distorted images are the actual entities. The ‘prisoners’ believe in an ‘absolute truth’ which is based on false or incomplete predicates. Later, a ‘prisoner’ is introduced to the ‘light’, which at first is overwhelming and undesirable. The light represents absolute truth. Only those are can gradually become accustomed to the new environment will be able to adapt to the overwhelming knowledge. Afterwards, those who have been exposed to the ‘light’ re-enter the cave to share their knowledge with the ignorant, but they must be careful to not forget the state-of-mind of their brethren in the cave when sharing their knowledge of the ‘light’.

Discussion:
Change is often difficult, as is stressed by this reading, and leaving our comfort zones is no easy venture. The truth may be intimidating and it could be too much for one to handle. The mass-media could be seen as a method of communication similar to the shadows and echoes in Plato’s cave. The mass-media, however, can be imperfect and limited in that it cannot transmit a perfect representation, or the complete essence of any idea or being. How much is lost in translation? The world of sight is especially dominant in our ways of living, thinking, behaving, and interacting with our surroundings. We are constrained by the limits of our senses; what we see, hear, touch, and feel, are insignificant in comparison to our nearly infinitive universe. What we experience is only a small fraction of the truth, a particle of the whole. Much of what we know and learn about the world has been totally or partially filtered and manipulated intentionally or unintentionally by elements such as the minds behind the media and the press, or even by our own cultural and political backgrounds. Unless the truth is continually questioned, and critically sought after, what we know will simply be a shadow of the truth. For example, we can only hear a limited range of frequencies, but with the aid of an oscilloscope, many more can be observed. Another point of discussion was on how those who had entered the light should not be contemptuous but to walk among the ‘prisoners’ still in the dark in order to empathize with their situation. We concluded that not every weary soul would be so eager to keep walking, and in their insecurities so easily forfeit acceptance by their peers.

Question:
From the darkness, are you walking into the light, or simply a larger cave?