What does an individual gain by Enlightenment?

From this list, it seems clear that enlightened people live rich and fulfilling lives. Those who achieve any measure of enlightenment do so through some form of daily meditation practice, a willingness to let go of old views, and a commitment to helping others find peace.

What does Plato say about enlightenment?

In order to reach enlightenment, Plato quotes say that “one has to go through four stages for development namely; 1. Imprisonment or being chained in the cave, a metaphor for the imaginary world, 2. A release from chains, a metaphor for the real and sensual world, 3.

What does the allegory of the cave suggest about enlightenment?

The Allegorical Meaning In the next chapter of “The Republic,” Socrates explains what he meant, that the cave represents the world, the region of life which is revealed to us only through the sense of sight. The ascent out of the cave is the journey of the soul into the region of the intelligible.

What does Plato’s allegory of the cave teach us?

Plato’s Allegory of the Cave is a reminder that not everyone will understand or be happy for you, when you decide to change your habits and outlook on life. Just like how the people in the cave responded to the escaped prisoner who returned—you can expect friends and family to laugh at your “stupid” ideas.

What changes according to Plato?

Plato said that real things (Forms) don’t change, and restricted change to the realm of appearances—the physical world. Parmenides went farther still, denying the existence of change altogether.

Who is enlightened in the allegory of the cave?

(3) Plato undoubtedly has in mind the fact that the Athenians had condemned to death his master Socrates, who Plato considered supremely enlightened.

How does the Allegory of the Cave influence our understanding of reality?

According to Plato, education is seeing things differently. Therefore, as our conception of truth changes, so will our education. So, the teacher in the allegory of the cave guided the prisoner from the darkness and into the light (light represents truth); education involves seeing the truth.

How does Plato’s allegory of the cave reflect his metaphysics and epistemology?

The Allegory of the Cave presents the theory of Ideas of Plato, who is both his metaphysics (= his theory of knowledge) and ontology (= his theory of being). Only the philosophy, free from opinion, can access ideas. The world is thus divided into two : sensible and false things and their ideas real.

What was happening during the Enlightenment?

The Age of Enlightenment, or just the Enlightenment, occurred during the 18th century and is known as a time period of great change and new ideas. The Enlightenment ideas pushed European societies away from feudalism and absolute monarchies and towards societies based on liberty and equality.

What does it mean to become enlightened?

1 : freed from ignorance and misinformation an enlightened people an enlightened time. 2 : based on full comprehension of the problems involved issued an enlightened ruling.

What is Plato’s theory about the prisoners in the cave?

Plato posits that one prisoner could become free. He finally sees the fire and realizes the shadows are fake. This prisoner could escape from the cave and discover there is a whole new world outside that they were previously unaware of. This prisoner would believe the outside world is so much more real than that in the cave.

What did Plato believe about the nature of the world?

According to Ronald Nash, Plato believed that: Like the prisoners chained in the cave, each human being perceives a physical world that is but a poor imitation of a more real world. But every so often, one of the prisoners gets free from the shackles of sense experience, turns around, and sees the light!

How does Plato use the Allegory of the cave to manipulate readers?

In the allegory of the cave the prisoner had to be forced to learn at times; for Plato, education in any form requires resistance, and with resistance comes force. In a way Plato manipulates the reader as he implies that we are prisoners, however we believe that we are not prisoners — this makes us want to learn and search for the truth.

What causes the shadows on the walls of the cave?

A fire outside the cave causes the passing figures to cast shadows on the wall of the cave so that the bound prisoners, who cannot turn to see the source of the shadows, naturally conclude that what they see is reality.