For the AP Literature and Composition Class of 2008-2009.
Friday, December 12, 2008
And do you see Glaucon? Gnothi Seauton...
See Book 7, Plato's "Republic": "The Allegory of the Cave".
Compare to Outer Party members of Oceania.
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Anonymous
said...
PLato envisions a cave where prisoners are chained and cannot move their heads. Behind them is a fire. With the fire they see shadows. Puppeteers would make shadows upon the walls and the prisoners would instantly say what they think they are seeing. However, they are actually refering to the shadow, not the actual object. They see a shadow and believe that what they are seeing must be true. Also, they cannot control their heads leaving them with the only option of seeing the shadows on the walls. In 1984, the Outer Party represents the middle class along with Winston. They work in the ministries in Oceania. The thing is, all they do is work. They do not know why they are working or why they are separate in different ministries doing different jobs. All they know is that it is their job and it is their only option. This relates to how Plato's prisoners do not know what they are seeing. They think that what they claim the shadows to represent are true. Only when they are released, then they would know the truth. They would be able to think for themselves and see the mistake they have been doing. The Outer Party is controlled my the Inner Party. They cannot think or comprehend their visions. Only when they are free to think, they would then be able to see reality.
In Plato's "The Allegory of the Cave" prisoners are made to believe that shadows are reality. The puppeteer creating the shadows is like O'Brien. O'Brien from 1984 makes the citizens of Oceania blind to reality. The outer party which Winston is a part of, works day in day out. They obediently follow orders and don't question the "puppeteers" power. This fire creating the shadows in the cave is is Ingsoc. This fire is composed of four main embers which are the ministries. These ministries are like the puppeteers puppets creating the shadows (lies) that the people believe in. The cave is the entire state of Oceania. Winston is like a prisoner who attempted to leave the cave but was defeated into submission by the all mighty puppeteer. He got a glimpse of reality and seemed to almost escape the puppeteers grasp and leave the cave forever but even that was simply an illusion.
The “Allegory of the Cave,” there are chained people who are facing a wall in the cave, with a fire behind them. The chained people do not know that there is a fire behind them, or that there is a life outside the cave. The fire makes shadows on the wall of the cave, which are caused by some puppeteers, and the shadows being the only thing that the chained people see. The shadows are what the chained people believe to be reality. The shadows are the closest that the chained persons will get to reality. This is similar to 1984, because in the novel, Obrien is the fire who has puppeteers like Winston Smith, reflect to the people of Oceania, what Obrien wants them to believe is real. The citizens of Oceania do not know what reality is, because they are forced to believe many things, even if those things never existed. The Outer Party is who Winston Smith works for, and which is the one that act as the puppeteers.
Plato's "Allegory of the Cave" is similar to Oceania's Outer Party Members. Oceania is similar to a cave; all the members in it are trapped inside and are not allowed to get out, although they do not realize that they are trapped. Like Plato's cave prisoners, the people of Oceania have no desire to leave Oceania for it is all that they have ever known. The philosopher who is freed in Plato's allegory is like Winston; his mind and knowledge frees him from the "cave" and enables him to see the truth. He realizes that the Inner Party has been manipulating the truth from its people. Like Plato's prisoners in the cave, their minds are manipulated so that the lies, like the "shadows", that are given to them will seem like the truth. The shadows are as close as the outer party will ever get to knowing reality.
Plato's "Allegory of the cave" is of people being held captive by their bodies and what they perceive by sight only. He talks about how if a one of the people were dragged out to the sun that he would be puzzeled and not know what to think of it. This story relates to the people in Oceania, because the poeple from Oceania are also being manipulated. Even if one individual was to gain a little bit of knowledge it would not matter, for the reason that, they are brain washed and they are not given the chance to break free.
Both the "Allegory of the cave" and Oceania prove the idea that ignorance is streingth. It is not streingth to the people being manipulated, but streingth to the people manipulating them. When people think, they hold power. The oppresors want to hold all the power, so they oppress others. In "Allegory of the cave," the people are held captive in a cave. They are fooled in this cave to believe there is not a world out of the cave. This ignorance keeps them without putting up a fight. The people from Oceania are fooled and brainwashed. This keeps them from rebeling. These people are not only captive physically, but mentally as well.
Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave” is about slaves, who since childhood, have been trapped in a cave. Their captors use puppets to cast shadows on the walls in front of them in order to trick them. After seeing these images their whole lives, the slaves automatically believe that the shadows represent reality and have no doubt that this is the truth. The slaves are similar to the outer party in Oceania because they too are tricked by people of higher standing. The state uses propaganda and false advertising in order to fool the outer party members into behaving a certain way. After living like this for many years, the people in the outer party automatically believe that this is the reality of life. They can no longer remember what their past life was like. Due to this they conform to the standards that the inner party members have and no longer have the will to rebel. Similarly to the slaves, who do not escape, the outer party members no longer have the will to revolt. They have become so accustomed to this lifestyle, that they easily give in.
Book 7, Plato's "Republic": "The Allegory of the Cave" is about prisoners chained in a cave since childhood. Since they are chained, they could not move and can only gaze into the white blank wall. These prisoners could only see the shadows that the puppets cast on the wall; the shadows create shapes that they perceive as the reality because their minds are narrow minded and therefore they could not break away from the common and see the other side of the shadow. This connects to 1984 because the children are taught to become obedient spies for the Inner Party. These junior spies are manipulated with the Party's slogans, posters, and songs. Therefore, they are brainwashed because they are taught to obey the Party by turning in thought criminals and maintaining the Inner Party's power. The telescreens represents the blank wall because when Goldstein's image came up on the big telescreen, the Party starts to shout death threats to him. This shows how the Party have brainwashed their people to hate its enemies. When one of the prisoners escaped the cave, he realizes that the thing he sees outside is not reality. This connects to the novel because when Winston escaped to the Golden Country he thought that he has finally found his freedom, but it was only another blank wall because it leads him to another cave, which was the Ministry of Love where he was torture.
The novel,"1984", by George Orwell, is similar in Plato's "Republic":"The Allegory of the Cave" because the Outer Party is very similar to that of the prisoners in the cave. The outer party are in some sense considered as slaves who are chained by the inner party and are manipulated by what they inner party states and does. The Inner party can be seen as the puppeteers who hold the puppets up to lie to the outer party when the shadows show up in the cave. This can be seen as Doublethink. The shadows are symbols of lies and deceiving. They are only presented to one certain lifestyle and one certain way to think. Through the puppets, the outer party is oppressed and is controlled by. The puppets can represent the multiple ministries there are in Oceania in order to keep order. The chained people within the cave do not wish to leave it because it is all they know in life. It ties in to the same situation with the outer party, they do not know any other life besides the one in which they live in. They live in a world in which they are chained in, metaphorically speaking, and the only light and hope in which they have is that of Big Brother. The only true fire that is seen in Oceania is that of the power and authority that Big Brother has upon them. That is why they choose not to leave, but rather decide to stay in the cave. The Inner Party manipulates them to stay and to have their eyes closed and shut from the truth. They are kept from the light of truth so that they may be controlled and that they may keep believing the lies of the inner party so that they may remain their slaves and prisoners.
Similarly to the outer party of 1984, the people of the cave are enchained to the horrible manipulation of false reality. With only seeing shadows all their lives, they have been deduced to a weakened and mindless state. Also, the one who escapes in the cave and sees the sun gains knowledge, but in the end, it does not matter since when he returns to the cave, he gets doubted and murdered. He is similar to Winston Smith to that extent. The people of Oceania are similar to the cave people in that they are being manipulated. If one looks like he's/she's thinking, then it is considered a crime. The chance of breaking free is carefully block, so it is not possible to be free. Rebellious thoughts are out of the picture. Overall, the people of the cave and Oceania are like obsolete objects, mindless and out of use.
Plato realizes that the general run of humankind can think, and speak, etc., without (so far as they acknowledge) any awareness of his realm of Forms.
The allegory of the cave is supposed to explain this.
In the allegory, Plato likens people untutored in the Theory of Forms to prisoners chained in a cave, unable to turn their heads. All they can see is the wall of the cave. Behind them burns a fire. Between the fire and the prisoners there is a parapet, along which puppeteers can walk. The puppeteers, who are behind the prisoners, hold up puppets that cast shadows on the wall of the cave. The prisoners are unable to see these puppets, the real objects, that pass behind them. What the prisoners see and hear are shadows and echoes cast by objects that they do not see. Here is an illustration of Plato’s Cave:
12 comments:
PLato envisions a cave where prisoners are chained and cannot move their heads. Behind them is a fire. With the fire they see shadows. Puppeteers would make shadows upon the walls and the prisoners would instantly say what they think they are seeing. However, they are actually refering to the shadow, not the actual object. They see a shadow and believe that what they are seeing must be true. Also, they cannot control their heads leaving them with the only option of seeing the shadows on the walls. In 1984, the Outer Party represents the middle class along with Winston. They work in the ministries in Oceania. The thing is, all they do is work. They do not know why they are working or why they are separate in different ministries doing different jobs. All they know is that it is their job and it is their only option. This relates to how Plato's prisoners do not know what they are seeing. They think that what they claim the shadows to represent are true. Only when they are released, then they would know the truth. They would be able to think for themselves and see the mistake they have been doing. The Outer Party is controlled my the Inner Party. They cannot think or comprehend their visions. Only when they are free to think, they would then be able to see reality.
In Plato's "The Allegory of the Cave" prisoners are made to believe that shadows are reality. The puppeteer creating the shadows is like O'Brien. O'Brien from 1984 makes the citizens of Oceania blind to reality. The outer party which Winston is a part of, works day in day out. They obediently follow orders and don't question the "puppeteers" power. This fire creating the shadows in the cave is is Ingsoc. This fire is composed of four main embers which are the ministries. These ministries are like the puppeteers puppets creating the shadows (lies) that the people believe in. The cave is the entire state of Oceania. Winston is like a prisoner who attempted to leave the cave but was defeated into submission by the all mighty puppeteer. He got a glimpse of reality and seemed to almost escape the puppeteers grasp and leave the cave forever but even that was simply an illusion.
The “Allegory of the Cave,” there are chained people who are facing a wall in the cave, with a fire behind them. The chained people do not know that there is a fire behind them, or that there is a life outside the cave. The fire makes shadows on the wall of the cave, which are caused by some puppeteers, and the shadows being the only thing that the chained people see. The shadows are what the chained people believe to be reality. The shadows are the closest that the chained persons will get to reality. This is similar to 1984, because in the novel, Obrien is the fire who has puppeteers like Winston Smith, reflect to the people of Oceania, what Obrien wants them to believe is real. The citizens of Oceania do not know what reality is, because they are forced to believe many things, even if those things never existed. The Outer Party is who Winston Smith works for, and which is the one that act as the puppeteers.
Plato's "Allegory of the Cave" is similar to Oceania's Outer Party Members. Oceania is similar to a cave; all the members in it are trapped inside and are not allowed to get out, although they do not realize that they are trapped. Like Plato's cave prisoners, the people of Oceania have no desire to leave Oceania for it is all that they have ever known. The philosopher who is freed in Plato's allegory is like Winston; his mind and knowledge frees him from the "cave" and enables him to see the truth. He realizes that the Inner Party has been manipulating the truth from its people. Like Plato's prisoners in the cave, their minds are manipulated so that the lies, like the "shadows", that are given to them will seem like the truth. The shadows are as close as the outer party will ever get to knowing reality.
Plato's "Allegory of the cave" is of people being held captive by their bodies and what they perceive by sight only. He talks about how if a one of the people were dragged out to the sun that he would be puzzeled and not know what to think of it. This story relates to the people in Oceania, because the poeple from Oceania are also being manipulated. Even if one individual was to gain a little bit of knowledge it would not matter, for the reason that, they are brain washed and they are not given the chance to break free.
Both the "Allegory of the cave" and Oceania prove the idea that ignorance is streingth. It is not streingth to the people being manipulated, but streingth to the people manipulating them. When people think, they hold power. The oppresors want to hold all the power, so they oppress others. In "Allegory of the cave," the people are held captive in a cave. They are fooled in this cave to believe there is not a world out of the cave. This ignorance keeps them without putting up a fight. The people from Oceania are fooled and brainwashed. This keeps them from rebeling. These people are not only captive physically, but mentally as well.
Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave” is about slaves, who since childhood, have been trapped in a cave. Their captors use puppets to cast shadows on the walls in front of them in order to trick them. After seeing these images their whole lives, the slaves automatically believe that the shadows represent reality and have no doubt that this is the truth.
The slaves are similar to the outer party in Oceania because they too are tricked by people of higher standing. The state uses propaganda and false advertising in order to fool the outer party members into behaving a certain way. After living like this for many years, the people in the outer party automatically believe that this is the reality of life. They can no longer remember what their past life was like. Due to this they conform to the standards that the inner party members have and no longer have the will to rebel. Similarly to the slaves, who do not escape, the outer party members no longer have the will to revolt. They have become so accustomed to this lifestyle, that they easily give in.
Book 7, Plato's "Republic": "The Allegory of the Cave" is about prisoners chained in a cave since childhood. Since they are chained, they could not move and can only gaze into the white blank wall. These prisoners could only see the shadows that the puppets cast on the wall; the shadows create shapes that they perceive as the reality because their minds are narrow minded and therefore they could not break away from the common and see the other side of the shadow. This connects to 1984 because the children are taught to become obedient spies for the Inner Party. These junior spies are manipulated with the Party's slogans, posters, and songs. Therefore, they are brainwashed because they are taught to obey the Party by turning in thought criminals and maintaining the Inner Party's power. The telescreens represents the blank wall because when Goldstein's image came up on the big telescreen, the Party starts to shout death threats to him. This shows how the Party have brainwashed their people to hate its enemies. When one of the prisoners escaped the cave, he realizes that the thing he sees outside is not reality. This connects to the novel because when Winston escaped to the Golden Country he thought that he has finally found his freedom, but it was only another blank wall because it leads him to another cave, which was the Ministry of Love where he was torture.
The novel,"1984", by George Orwell, is similar in Plato's "Republic":"The Allegory of the Cave" because the Outer Party is very similar to that of the prisoners in the cave. The outer party are in some sense considered as slaves who are chained by the inner party and are manipulated by what they inner party states and does. The Inner party can be seen as the puppeteers who hold the puppets up to lie to the outer party when the shadows show up in the cave. This can be seen as Doublethink. The shadows are symbols of lies and deceiving. They are only presented to one certain lifestyle and one certain way to think. Through the puppets, the outer party is oppressed and is controlled by. The puppets can represent the multiple ministries there are in Oceania in order to keep order. The chained people within the cave do not wish to leave it because it is all they know in life. It ties in to the same situation with the outer party, they do not know any other life besides the one in which they live in. They live in a world in which they are chained in, metaphorically speaking, and the only light and hope in which they have is that of Big Brother. The only true fire that is seen in Oceania is that of the power and authority that Big Brother has upon them. That is why they choose not to leave, but rather decide to stay in the cave. The Inner Party manipulates them to stay and to have their eyes closed and shut from the truth. They are kept from the light of truth so that they may be controlled and that they may keep believing the lies of the inner party so that they may remain their slaves and prisoners.
Similarly to the outer party of 1984, the people of the cave are enchained to the horrible manipulation of false reality. With only seeing shadows all their lives, they have been deduced to a weakened and mindless state. Also, the one who escapes in the cave and sees the sun gains knowledge, but in the end, it does not matter since when he returns to the cave, he gets doubted and murdered. He is similar to Winston Smith to that extent. The people of Oceania are similar to the cave people in that they are being manipulated. If one looks like he's/she's thinking, then it is considered a crime. The chance of breaking free is carefully block, so it is not possible to be free. Rebellious thoughts are out of the picture. Overall, the people of the cave and Oceania are like obsolete objects, mindless and out of use.
Plato realizes that the general run of humankind can think, and speak, etc., without (so far as they acknowledge) any awareness of his realm of Forms.
The allegory of the cave is supposed to explain this.
In the allegory, Plato likens people untutored in the Theory of Forms to prisoners chained in a cave, unable to turn their heads. All they can see is the wall of the cave. Behind them burns a fire. Between the fire and the prisoners there is a parapet, along which puppeteers can walk. The puppeteers, who are behind the prisoners, hold up puppets that cast shadows on the wall of the cave. The prisoners are unable to see these puppets, the real objects, that pass behind them. What the prisoners see and hear are shadows and echoes cast by objects that they do not see. Here is an illustration of Plato’s Cave:
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