Plato, Republic Book 7 - The Philosopher's Return To The Cave - Sadler's Lectures

This lecture discusses key ideas from the ancient philosopher Plato's work, The Republic, in particular book 7.

Specifically it examines his famous Allegory of the Cave set out early in book 7. After being liberated from the cave and gradually habituated to see real things in daylight, and eventually the source of light in the sun, as opposed to the shadows of the cave, the prisoner determines to return to the cave out of a sense of pity or compassion for his fellow prisoners.

Because his eyes are now habituated to seeing in full light, he is bot able to see as well in the dimly lit cave. Because he knows that the play of shadows on the wall are mere images, he does not value them as the reality the prisoners think them to be. His fellow prisoners laugh at him, think he has damaged his vision, and become hostile to him when he proposes liberating them.

This portion of the allegory describes in narrative form what happens to the philosopher who has habituated him or herself to contemplation of the immaterial, intelligible Forms, when he or she attempts to help fellow human beings out of their own caves.

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