philosophy

philosophy Order Description Note: the book is Plato, Book VII After explain" rel="nofollow">inin" rel="nofollow">ing briefly his account of the nature of reality, and our knowledge of what is real, in" rel="nofollow">in the allegories of the sun and the lin" rel="nofollow">ine at the end of Book VI which we looked at in" rel="nofollow">in class, Plato offers what is perhaps the most famous passage from all of Ancient Philosophy—his Allegory of the Cave. In this story, Plato expresses his view about the nature of a proper education, a story which has often been taken to offer a metaphor more broadly of the human condition. Here are some thin" rel="nofollow">ings to keep in" rel="nofollow">in min" rel="nofollow">ind while answerin" rel="nofollow">ing the questions that follow. One, for Plato, each of us aims, as we’ve been notin" rel="nofollow">ing throughout our discussion of Plato so far, to live well or achieve a good life (eudaimonia), and the soul is that part of our in" rel="nofollow">individual natures through which each of us gives shape and direction to the life we create deliberately. Two, humans develop in" rel="nofollow">in stages, where different parts of their souls or psychology emerge in" rel="nofollow">in their lives as they grow. Three, each part of our soul’s nature is associated with a different kin" rel="nofollow">ind of pleasure (appetitive pleasure, the pleasures of reputation, the pleasures of contemplative understandin" rel="nofollow">ing). Presumably, a good life under normal circumstances is also one that is pleasurable. In no more than a sin" rel="nofollow">ingle page, answer the followin" rel="nofollow">ing questions about Plato’s Allegory of the Cave. First, fin" rel="nofollow">ind and quote a passage in" rel="nofollow">in which Plato tells us what he thin" rel="nofollow">inks education is NOT. Second, fin" rel="nofollow">ind and quote a passage in" rel="nofollow">in which Plato tells us what he thin" rel="nofollow">inks education really is. Third, in" rel="nofollow">in thin" rel="nofollow">inkin" rel="nofollow">ing about the allegory as a story about how education ought to be undertaken and what its effect is on one who undergoes education, what do you thin" rel="nofollow">ink the shadows on the wall of the cave represent in" rel="nofollow">in the context of the soul’s development? Fin" rel="nofollow">inally, do you thin" rel="nofollow">ink Plato’s view of education is sensible for you? Why or why not? provide the margin" rel="nofollow">inal numberin" rel="nofollow">ing reference for the passages you cite so that we can look at the passage in" rel="nofollow">in class discussion.