Platos The Republic †Should We Search for the Truth? Essay -- Philos

Platos Republic Should We Search for the Truth?There is the common belief that what we experience as reality is just a mere illusion of the virtue. Platos fiction of the cave in The Republic describes human beings as being chained in a cave, such that they cannot move but are forced to search a wall, onto which shadows of puppets and themselves are projected. They are deceived into believing that their reality is composed of these shadows when actually, the ball of truth is the light outside the cave. This analogy insinuates the probability that we have been entertaining phony notions about biography, and all our beliefs, ranging from religion to the sciences, are merely representations of the truth. What is this light that burns so bright in Platos eyes? Are we certain that it exists? Because for all we know, life might be nothing but the cave itself. Plato appears certain of what the light beyond the cave will reveal to the one who has made the journey out. first off it wil l provide a means of illumination that will expose the real existence of the world. In the brightness of the light, everything would be seen in their profuse beauty instead of the vague impressions shadows create. He would receive accurate information about life and therefore dispense with the need to discern between the truth and the lie. Furthermore, he would also see himself in his own proper place. He would no longer be confused about his identity, role in society or purpose in life, and could then carry out his duties confidently and effectively. Secondly the light itself also symbolizes the idea of good. Since it is mentioned in the emblem that if one were to act rationally, he would need to rely on the idea of good. It ca... ...tion we receive from life. In this case of the allegory, Plato is working on a whole plane of uncertainty as he is neither able to determine the existence of a different reality nor disprove the credibility of our lives. The world as we know it is i ndeed imperfect but imperfection should not qualify it as being false.Should we stop all things and embark on the happy ascent to the truth? Philosophically, yes. For according to Plato it would be better to endure anything, rather than think as they do and live after their manner. However it is refutable if the need for knowledge of the truth (which might not even exist) is great enough to justify a journey in search for it. This is a last we have to make for ourselves. Works Cited Plato. Republic. Trans. Benjamin Jowett. 8 Jan. 2001. http//www.scholars.nus.edu.sg/writing/ccwp11/allegory.htm.