Plato's Republic & the Just State

 
 
 
 
The "Allegory of the Cave" accurately represents the human condition, culturally, morally, cognitively, and spiritually. It does so because within it Plato posits the notion that most human beings are ignorant of the truth of reality (universal truths), but through proper teaching and learning individuals have the capacity to discover this truth themselves.

The main goal of Plato's Republic is to illustrate a model of the just state. The realization of such a state requires good men. What constitutes the good and proper life is learning and knowledge of the truth of reality. When one interacts with the truth, one understands the good and becomes good. The ideally just state will be controlled by such individuals. Despite this model of the just state, in the "Allegory of the Cave" Plato argues that most people remain in darkness, a state of ignorance. He uses the allegory of the cave to show that most people live in a world of opinion or shadows, prohibiting their participation in the state. Only when they come out of the cave (i.e., leave the shadows) to participate in knowledge and ideas can individuals come to know the truth and the good. This liberation is up to each individual.

Plato contends that morally, spiritually, culturally, and even cognitively, most individuals are ignorant of the real truth. Plato uses the different levels in the cave to represent four different levels of human knowledge. Through proper teaching and


     
 
 
 
    

 

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