Book sevens’ allegory of the cave I found very interesting.  Plato talks about how these people are chained in a cave only to look forward and see certain shapes.  These shapes are the most real things to these people and it forces them to have a terrible imagination.  This allegory was able to describe a relationship to knowledge in an extremely unique perspective that basically anyone should be able to relate too.

            If you are a person who never goes out and does not go to school you will be unknowledgeable.  This is similar to the prisoners’ in the cave, even though it is less extreme.  Since the prisoner’s were unable to leave the cave this is all that they knew and this life made sense to them.  Plato stated how if one man were able to escape the cave he would not know anything of the outside world because he has never seen or heard of it before.  Therefore, he would not know the names or functions of anything and he would need to be taught.

The man who escaped the cave will not be able to understand the heavens and greater powers right away.  First he will understand shadows and reflections.  Later he will grow to understand objects such as trees, houses, etc.  His knowledge will keep expanding until eventually he will have the ability to understand a vast amount about the world and what is in it.  This allegory is Plato’s explanation of how knowledge and education occurs.  Everyone can relate to this great example because in the beginning of our lives we did not know anything, we observed and were taught.  Like the prisoner, we understood simple things in the beginning of our education and through time our knowledge grew to be more complex.

After having the opportunity to proceed as far out of the cave as possible and enhancing your education we should go back to teach others in the cave.  This idea was interesting because just as Socrates was always a teacher because of his higher levels of education we should enrich those who are not as knowledgeable.  This promotes being virtuous and helping others.  This allegory inspires me because there is always opportunity to become more educated.