Plato's Allegory of the Cave

1. According to Socrates, what does the Allegory of the Cave represent?
According to Socrates, Allegory of the Cave represent how people in the cave only see and think what they see through the shadow. Not knowing anyother world outside of the cave.

2. What are the key elements in the imagery used in the allegory?

3. What are some things the allegory suggests about the process of enlightenment or education?
About the process of enlightenment or education, allegory suggests ,"- certain professors of education must be wrong when they say that they can put a knowledge into the soul which was not there before, like sight into blind eyes,"" the power and capacity of learning exists in the soul already." Also that some people does not like to know about new things because they feel safe with what they already know.

4. What do the imagery of "shackles" and the "cave" suggest about the perspective of the cave dwellers or prisoners?
The imagery of "shackles" and the "cave" suggest that people in the cave is controlled and also limited on what they do and what they think by their environment.

5. In society today or in your own life, what sorts of things shackle the mind?
In society today, money shackle peoples' mind. Students study and try to get into good college, not to reach the dream they always dreamed of, but to be successful. It is hard to live without money now.

6. Compare the perspective of the freed prisoner with the cave prisoners?
The freed prisoner can actually compare the world outside of the cave and inside of the cave. And find that it is better to live outside. But the cave prisoner will never know how the outside world is. So they would never try to be free and get out the the cave.

7. According to the allegory, lack of clarity or intellectual confusion can occur in two distinct ways or contexts. What are they?
When someone is imexperienced in something and when someone deny to accept the new thing.

8. According to the allegory, how do cave prisoners get free? What does this suggest about intellectual freedom?
The prisoners are free when they actually try to be free. They just need to "try" and step out of the cave. This suggest that intellectual freedom can be forced sometimes and need to get use to it.

9. The allegory presupposes that there is a distinction between appearances and reality. Do you agree? Why or why not?
Yes I think there is a distinction between appearances and reality becasue appearance shows in reality.  The reality of person shows the real appreance of the person.. (right? haha)

10. If Socrates is incorrect in his assumption that there is a distinction between reality and appearances, what are the two alternative metaphysical assumptions?