Question

Describe Plato's Allegory of the Cave. What is the Divided Line? What are the Forms? What is the relationship between the Forms and ordinary objects?

Answer 1

The Plato's allegory of the cave is an excerpt which has been taken from the beginning of Plato's book - The Republic. Here, Plato has described allegory in the context of Education. Plato's allegory of the cave offers an insight into Plato's view of education. It is about philosophical education. In the book, Plato is telling the allegory to his brother, Glaucon.

Plato's line of division is also a division between mind and body. The upper half of the body is intelligible which means it is seen by the mind and the lower half is visible. Plato divides human knowledge into four sections. It starts by dividing a line into two unequal sections, the upper level and the longer one corresponds to knowledge and the lower level corresponds to opinion. The two levels are further dissected into two more parts making it four sections:

1. Knowledge further dissected into dianoia and noesis
2. Opinion further dissected into eikasia and pistis

Theory of Forms says the physical world is not the real world. Plato asserts that a real world exists beyond the physical world. As per this theory, there are two realms: Physical and spiritual realm. As per this theory, physical realm is the one in which we are present and interact on daily basis, it is constantly changing and imperfect whereas spiritual realm is beyond this physical realm and this is called Realm of Forms (Realm of ideals or Realm of ideas).

The forms are unchanging concepts, abstract, perfect or ideals that transcend the space and time. These forms are more real than any occurring physical objects.

Ordinary objects are examples of the forms. Concept like beauty, goodness, justice, redness etc. are forms. Individual objects reside in the physical realm like beautiful girl, good person, red ball etc.