ASSIGNMENT ON PLATO
One cannot talk about Plato’s work and life without considering the influence Socrates, his mentor. Plato was around the age of twenty nine when Socrates died in the name of his beliefs, drinking the hemlock. Nothing happens without a cause- and “The Republic” is no exception. The effect of Socrate’s death was the birth of one of the most important works in the western philosophy. cave is found in the BOOK VII of the Republic. Plato (428-347B.C.) To Plato, the death of Socrates was a striking example of the conflict that can exist between society as it really is and the true or ideal society. Plato's first written work was Socrate' s Apology-an account of his plea to the large jury. As far as we know Socrates never wrote anything down but his ideas greatly influenced Plato's works. In addition to Socrates' Apology, Plato wrote a collection of Epistles (Greek word for letters) and about twenty five philosophical Dialogues. Plato is also know for setting up his own school of philosophy (in a grove not to far from Athena), named after the legendary hero Academus from Attica a sacred region northwest of Athens . The subjects taught at Plato's academy were Philosophy, mathematics, and gymnastics- although perhaps "taught" is not the appropriate word. Lively discourse was considered most important at Plato's Academy, which explains why Plato's writings took the form of dialogues.
My first encounter with The Allegory of the cave took place some years ago when I was reading " Sofies verden" ("Sophie's World") by Jostein Gaarder. In plain words, Gaarder made philosopher like Socrates, Plato, Baruch Spinoza, Saint Augustin, Hegel, Descartes, Heidegger, Nietzsche , Russell, Sartre and their ideas easier to grasp at an early age. I remember my mother used to be annoyed by the multitude of questions that I asked after reading the book. That book nourished in me the desire to know more, to ask more questions and to doubt more the things...