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Teddy Hendrickson Dr. McMillion Political Gov 11/12/ The Republic Introduction The Republic by Plato is a complex framework of material on politics, philosophy, and education that often creates more questions than answers. The goal of the Republic is an often debated and contested topic. This question can never be answered as there is no accurate way to understand Plato's reasoning for writing this book. The Republic is a highly layered book and operates on multiple levels. It is not just a political piece of work but a work that delves into metaphysics, ethics, education, and the human soul. Plato also wrote the book as a Socratic dialogue, meaning that the character Socrates led the discussions. This method of writing invites open-ended discussions rather than providing explicit conclusions to the discussion. Lastly, one has to interpret the work from its translation of the original piece. One's interpretation needs to be revised as Plato's original intent and true meaning have been lost to others' opinions and time. However, there are helpful ways to understand this book better. In order to better interpret the profound meaning and the goal of the Republic , one must focus on specific aspects that Plato discusses instead of the entire body of work. This essay will interpret The Allegory of the Cave and The Divided Line with a metaphysical perspective and describe the beginning process for attaining true knowledge of oneself. It is essential to delve into Plato's concept of the Forms as it is fundamental to gain deeper insights into The Allegory of the Cave and The Divided Line analogy.
The Forms The Forms are the ideas of that which is universal. A Form is something that covers many different examples of one specific idea. For instance, there are many different breeds of fish but there is also a Form or idea of a fish. There is something specific to all fish - an underlying factor which is the Form. Forms are abstract ideas that cannot be found in the material and physical reality. When you see a fish, you see it with your eyes, touch a fish with your hands, and smell it with your nose; individual things like the fish are accessible through one's senses. However, the Forms are not accessible through our senses but through reason. The only way of understanding an idea is by thought; one can not do it through the senses. There are two worlds in Plato's philosophy: the world of the sensible things that we can see, touch, and smell and the world of Forms that are beyond space and time and are only accessible through reason. These two worlds are forever interacting with one another. Every single thing or characteristic imitates the Form or idea that it is embodying. For example, an individual fish imitates the Form of a perfect fish. In other words, the individual fish is an imperfect copy of what it means to actually be a fish, which is itself the eternal model for all fish to imitate. All individual things are of the multiform idea that they can imitate. The physical object may manifest with varying characteristics, like a big fish or an old fish, yet the fundamental characteristics that originate from the universal Form remain the same. These individual things or objects are participating in specific Forms. For example, a baby fish participates in what it means to be youthful but stops participating in youthfulness as it grows older. This is because Forms are eternal, but the imitations are not. Unlike the individual fish, the Forms do not participate; they are confined and perfect. They cannot be used in combination
tree above them, which they imitate and in which they participate. All beautiful things have an eternal model of beauty, and as long as they participate in this Form, they remain beautiful. Forms or ideas are the unchanging models or essences of all things. To know something, to know what a tree is, it is not enough to know one singular tree but the essence shared by all trees. In the same way, comprehending beauty is not seeing something beautiful but knowing what makes it beautiful. Therefore, Plato divides existence into two worlds: the world of Forms and the world of sensible things. The two worlds divide the line. Opinion is just belief; one can see something beautiful and think it is beautiful, but it is a subjective opinion. One may think they know a tree because they have seen many, but this is also an opinion. With the Form of a tree, one may differentiate a bush or a cactus from a tree. Everything changes in the world of senses; opinions rely upon time, situation, and space. One's opinion of something beautiful yesterday may be different today. However, the knowledge of the Forms is the knowledge of the eternal, unchanging models beyond space and time. Knowledge is fixed and valid for all time, so the portion of the line representing the Forms is more significant. Mathematical objects, arithmetic, or geometry are also types of Forms, just like that of a tree or beauty, but they represent the lower Forms. The ideal realm of the Forms is divided into two realms on the line. There are the higher Forms, the essence of all things that exist, beauty, and the tree. Then, there is the lower type: shapes and numbers. They are eternal models, but instead of having an essence, there is a number or a shape. For example, one tree is expressed numerically and composed of different shapes, like circles and squares, that can be expressed geometrically. Just like there is no perfect tree in the sensible world, there is no perfect square. However, one with zero knowledge of geometry would still differentiate a square from a circle. They would recognize it as different shapes since the Form of the square is innately present in
their mind. When one puts two and two together, it will always be four. One can always differentiate one orange from three oranges; the numerical Forms are already present in one's mind. The higher Forms, the essence of things, and the lower Forms, perfect geometry and arithmetic, are the objects of knowledge that the soul already understands and knows. The sensible, visible world is based on belief or opinion. Just like there are two realms of Forms, there are two realms of sensible things. The higher true sensible things are the copies of the Forms, like an example of a tree someone would see on an everyday walk. There are also imitations of the sensible things, a second order of imitation. This would be the reflection or shadow of the tree. The highest Form, referred to by Plato as the Good, or in the Allegory of the Cave, the sun is the soul. The soul is immortal and does not perish with the body. It existed before and will exist after being confined to this material realm. Before the soul was in the body, it existed in the realm of the Forms. It knows what the Forms are, and it knows of them innately. The knowledge of the essences aids in processing experience in the sensible world. This knowledge of the Forms allows one to recognize them without prior experience of certain things belonging to a specific set. For example, when one recognizes something as beautiful, it just comes naturally. However, one still needs to learn what beauty itself is. One still lacks actual knowledge of the Form, but one's soul still allows him to recognize beautiful things. When one embarks on the study of the Forms, not only the soul knows, but the physical person knows as well. Plato draws on his analogy of the Divided Line to better describe the journey of The Allegory of the Cave. The journey is through the metaphysical realm, and the goal is to reach the highest Form. The Allegory of the Cave
journey will lead to the cave's entrance. In fact, the majority of the individuals who break the chains will end up in chains again. The second part of Plato's cave analogy is the fire in the cave. The fire is the source of our perceived reality. It is a perfect imitation of the Sun; naturally, we humans are drawn to it. This is because the fire represents what our wants are in the material world. However, these wants are fleeting and ever-changing. There is nothing timeless about a sensible world and the objects within it. This fire represents the allusions of the material world; it is what holds us there. It controls our appetite for our wants, but it is not truly good. The third part is the entire cave itself. The cave is one's physical body, so, in essence, we are trapped within ourselves. The physical body represents the visible and sensible realm. It is simply a host, as we are prisoners to our bodies. This makes us ignorant; we live physically in opinion and subjective reality. However, our souls can exist in the world of the Forms as mentioned in the Divided Line. Next in the allegory of the cave is the outside world. Once one exits the cave's mouth, they are through the looking glass. This is the realm of truth and the Forms. However, once in this realm, one must adjust to it. The Forms are unclear at this stage but resemble reflections and shadows. Though these are reflections and shadows, they can be considered true. One needs help to understand these Forms, but they now have a glimpse of them. During this adjustment time, things may not make sense as they differ vastly from the visible realm, but this unpleasantness feels good because one knows it is true. After becoming adjusted, one can see things for what they really are. The final part of the Allegory of the Cave is the Sun. The Sun can also be inferred as the Good because the highest Form in Plato's Divided Line is the Good. The Sun illuminates everything in the outside world; it makes the world of the Forms clear. This is the highest Form
of knowledge and reality of true nature. Ordinary senses cannot comprehend the Sun as it is one's soul. The Sun is the soul because the Allegory of the Cave is within the person. The soul, in other words, is the ideal self. Once one understands the soul, they now truly understand who they are. Now that they understand themselves, the most fundamental Form, they can begin to see other Forms more clearly. However, as demonstrated by the multiple parts of the cave, it is a process. Finding oneself cannot just happen independently; it requires thought and patience. Breaking the Chains Though the Divided Line outlines the distinction between true and subjective knowledge; it does not tell one how to reach the Forms or even possibly understand them. The Allegory of the Cave provides pieces to this puzzle. One must not think of the Allegory of the Cave in the physical sense but the metaphysical. The Allegory of the Cave lies within oneself, in other words, the soul. The Allegory of the Cave describes the journey, and the journey's goal is to reach the Sun. The Sun is "you" or your soul. Those imprisoned at the bottom of the cave do not know who they are. If one were to ask them, they would say something of a physical characteristic or a subjective attribute to describe who they are. They might say, "I am a kind and generous person," but this is one's opinion, so it is untrue. They might say, "I am an athletic type of person," but this is also relative as humans are not more athletic than tigers or other types of animals, so once again, this is not who they are. They do not know. They do not know who they are because who "you" are is not physical. The only way to know oneself is to become enlightened, and in order to fully understand the Forms, one must first know who one is. The one true thing a person has an attachment to is one's soul or the ideal self. This is because the soul is a Form. The soul exists outside the sensible realm and transcends everything that is physical. The ultimate Form is knowing one's soul; this is
the other Forms as shown using the Analogy of the Cave. Recognizing the soul is acknowledging the ultimate truth about oneself. As Plato presents, the idea of the soul is not limited to what is sensibly perceived. The soul connects individuals to the eternal realm of the Forms. The journey to enlightenment, symbolized by the journey from the cave towards the light of the Sun, signifies the process of self-realization and the “illumination” of the soul. Understanding the soul requires detaching oneself from the mundane perceptions and desires that secure us to the world of shadows in the cave. It involves a shift in one's perception, surpassing the limitations of the physical realm to perceive the truth beyond the illusions. Meditation, as suggested, serves as a path to detachment from the physical world and, essentially, a method to break the chains binding the soul. By thinking of nothing and practicing detachment from material thoughts and desires, individuals can begin to see their soul. This internal journey is not instantaneous. It demands patience, constant questioning, and a commitment to seeking oneself. In Plato's Republic , the Allegory of the Cave and the Divided Line guide understanding true knowledge and one’s self. The quest for knowledge is not merely a physical world pursuit but an inward-looking journey to recognize the soul. By comprehending the Forms and breaking free from one's imprisonment to the sensory world, individuals embark on a transformative journey toward self-realization. This journey leads to recognizing the soul as the key to understanding oneself and the eternal truths that transcend the physical and sensory realms. Plato's profound philosophical ideas encourage us to look beyond the world's illusions, question our perceptions, and strive for a better understanding of ourselves. In recognizing the soul, we move closer to comprehending the fundamental truths that shape our existence.
Works Cited: Plato, and Allan Bloom. The Republic of Plato: Tr., with Notes and an Interpretive Essay, by Allan Bloom. Basic Books, 1968.
