Allegory of the Cave Response

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Alecia Gordon 

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Plato's allegory of the cave is a philosophical concept used to explain the nature of reality and human perception. In the 21st century, the allegory can be applied to modern society and the ways in which people consume information and understand the world around them.

Imagine a group of people who have spent their entire lives inside a cave, with their backs facing the entrance. All they can see are the shadows of objects cast onto the wall in front of them, which are created by a fire behind them. To these people, the shadows are their entire reality, and they have no idea that there is anything beyond the cave.

In the modern world, this could be compared to the way in which people consume information through various media platforms. For example, a person who spends all of their time scrolling through social media may only see the shadows of reality that are presented to them through their screens. They may believe that what they see on their feeds is the entirety of reality, without realizing that there is a world beyond their screens.

Plato's allegory also includes the idea of a person being freed from the cave and seeing the true nature of reality for the first time. In modern society, this could be compared to someone who has been exposed to new ideas or perspectives that challenge their previous beliefs. This person may have a newfound understanding of reality that goes beyond what they previously thought was true.

However, just as in the allegory, the person who has seen the truth may struggle to communicate their newfound knowledge to others who have not had the same experience. This can lead to a sense of isolation and frustration, as the person may feel that they are alone in their understanding of the world.

Overall, Plato's allegory of the cave still holds relevance in the 21st century, as it provides a useful framework for understanding the ways in which people perceive and understand the world around them. It highlights the importance of seeking out new perspectives and challenging our own beliefs, while also acknowledging the difficulties that can arise when trying to communicate these ideas to others.

                                         References

Biffle, C. (1988).  Plato: A guided tour of five works. Mayfield Publishing Company. 

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Shalanda Greene 

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I drew a few people box and one person attempting to. cut a way out for them. The people in the box have always been introduced to information through manipulative forms of media. IN my drawing I have one person staring at their phone screen, another person staring at their tv screen and another person staring at their laptop screen. The fourth person on the outside of the box has been exposed to another version or reality that is real, therefor making him enlightened. He wants to help them, and they are completely encompassed in their medias truth.

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I tried my best to perceive or capture within my image hoe in today’s modern society there are people hiding from the modern truth and what is perceived to be the truth. In this way they are hiding in a “cave” like state (not literally), but hiding from what is universally believable to be the truth.

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