PT Journal
AU Stransky, J
TI Plato's Simile of the Cave
SO Aither
PY 2022
BP 4
EP 37
VL 13
IS 1
DI 10.5507/aither.2021.003
AB The main aim of this paper is to thoroughly analyse Plato's simile of the cave. Since it is closely tied to two previous smiles (namely the Sun and the Line), the first section of the paper is devoted to a brief recapitulation of the content of these similes and their relation to the Cave. Then, the simile of the cave itself is being scrutinized. It is argued that in order to understand the simile properly, one must distinguish between different contexts in which Plato applies it. It is claimed that although they are mutually non-transferable (and so, as many scholars think, a consistent interpretation of the whole simile cannot be given), they are, nonetheless, complementary, and only when taken together one can understand the complexity of human situation in this world. The last section of this paper is then devoted to the topic of philosophical education which plays a key role in the simile of the cave.
ER