The "Allegory of the Cave" consists of a conversation between Plato's student, Socrates, and Plato's brother, Glaucon. In the conversation, Socrates describes a cave in which men are imprisoned and fooled by a false reality. Socrates uses the allegory to define the role of the philosopher in society. To Socrates and Plato, philosophers can perceive the true nature of reality.
The false reality in the cave consists of "shadows."
The "shadows" are manipulated by men in power.
Your Task: Imagine that Thoreau attempted to create his own version of the cave allegory to reflect the society and times in which he lived (mid-19th century America). Describe the cave of deception that Thoreau would imagine and post your explanation as a comment on this post.
- Due by midnight, Wed. 10/30.
If Thoreau made a cave, then the cave of deception would be the payed taxes as the opening and the cave fro prisoners. Also, the land on top would be the land that those who payed taxes would live. The cave should be full of Thoreaus or people like Thoreau. Ignorance is removed through the diffused sun in Thoreau's case.
ReplyDeleteThoreau's cave of deception would be similar to this of Plato's cave, but the different aspects of the cave would be different things in Thoreau's view. For example, if I am not mistaken, the prisoners in HDT's cave would be the tax payers of his time and the illusion being shown to them would be that slavery is ok, and that the idea of slavery would make their society money during the time. The puppeteers in HDT's cave would be the government, and how to get out of this cave would be obtained by being like HDT. Being a transcendentalist and not pay taxes.
ReplyDeleteIf Thoreau were to create his own version of this cave allegory, it would be very similar to this, yet it would include different opinions of the ignorance in the world versus its enlightenment. The cave that Thoreau would imagine would include the idea of slavery and greed. He does not agree with either of these ideas and feels that he is stuck in a society that has these very values as its center. His views includes that all who believe in slavery, taxes and the need of money are the real ones being decieved by society. Furthermore, the enlightened section above the cave consitsts of intuition and the will to seperate yourself from something that you know is wrong. For instance, Thoreau says that the truely enlightened people in a wrongful society belong in jail. Thus, for being such an enlightened philosopher, he belonged seperate from society and hidden in the woods. Thoreaus cave would consist of slavery, deception, taxes and greed and the enlightened part of his diagram would consist of truth, inution and seperation from the status quo.
ReplyDeleteIf Thoreau was to make a cave like Plato's based on the time period and the society around him, it would be like Plato's; the same overall idea, but different illiusions. For example, Thoreau believed that slavery was wrong an he was against the Mexican- American War. In the dark cave is where the people of the mid 19th century were being fooled; led to believe the war was wrong and that slavery was okay. The ones decieving the people would be the government, the "puppeteers" of the misleading show. However Thoreau would have believed he had left this group by not paying his taxes; by doing so it was like climbing the stairs out of the cave and into the light. The light being knowledge and truth about what was really happening and not what the government wanted you to believe. By not paying his taxes, Thoreau was following his intuition and believed he was doing the right thing, it was similar to peacful protest. Those who did the same as him or something similar and those that had realized the truth and left the cave were truely enlightened.
ReplyDeleteThere would be an immense amount of examples that would represents Plato’s cave, a good example of one would be Thoreau’s version of a cave allegory, there would be similarities but the difference would be that the illusions would change because of the difference in their eras. At that Thoreau detested the American government because of first the Mexican American war in which we literally took Texas from the Mexican, then slavery where Africans were treated as machine that only worked, and another one would be the deception that the government gave to the people that to have pleasure in life one most own property. These would be, in Thoreau’s cave, considered as the illusions that the government, who are the people that are manipulating the shadows of the fire, gave to the people, they would make it seem like these “shadows” are true. The government would use the ignorance to get much more potent. To escape from this cave of ignorance one must rely upon their intuition and use one’s gut instinct, Thoreau’s thinks himself as one of these “philosophers that escaped to the light of enlightenment, by going to jail and living in the woods for two years.
ReplyDeleteIf Thoreau made his own allegory of Plato's caves, it would depict the ideas of transcendentalism. Trapped in the cave would be people who sell themselves and are distracted by the illusions created by the government. The people trying to escape the cave must transcend beyond human experience. After a long journey out of the cave the travelers will reach a spiritual and meaningful reality.
ReplyDeleteIf Thoreau attempted to create his own version of the cave allegory to reflect the society and times in which he lived, it would demonstrate his views and beliefs. For example, the people who blindly followed the government into the Mexican-American War and the people who supported slavery would be considered "prisoners" in the cave. The government would obviously be the powerful force who manipulates the senses. Therefore, in order to live outside of the "cave," one would not participate in the government. In this case, Thoreau lived outside of the "cave" by refusing to pay taxes. This apparently showed that he was "enlightened" because he did not look to the false reality created by the government. Instead, he looked to his intuition which transcendentalists believed to be the most important.
ReplyDeleteIf Thoreau tried to create his own version of the cave allegory it would be similar to Plato's version. The so called prisoners of the cave would be the ones that support the two things that Thoreau does not like, slavery and the Mexican- American war. In order to escape the cave one must separate themselves from the government and not follow the two ideas Thoreau did not like. Thoreau looks at the truth and the transcendentalist view of the world and one must think like him in order to escape from the cave.
ReplyDeleteThoreau's cave would consist of an opening in the ground that separates the non-taxpayers and the taxpayers. The taxpayers would be trapped in the cave because they are mislead by the government or in other words, "blinded." The non-taxpayers would be outside and free because they have no one restricting them from using their money how they would want to. Therefore, the cave acts like a prison, since the taxpayers are put into this metaphorical jail that makes them do whatever the government says.
ReplyDeleteThoreau's version of Plato's cave would consist of the people who are paying taxes as the people who are "prisoners" in the cave and are being mislead by the "shadows". The soldiers who are making the shadows to mislead the people who are paying the taxes, also represented in Pluto's cave as the prisoners, is the American Government. The people above ground who the cave, the "enlightened" are the ones who do not pay taxes and are self sufficient making just enough to live.
ReplyDeleteIf Thoreau had created his own version of the cave, he would focus on the illusions of society on the people. He would use the shadows to represent the illusions of society/the government, and the people viewing the shadows as "average joes". On the outside of the cave would be enlightenment, and the wisdom to see the flaws of society. Thoreau would go on to say that, by taking more transcendentalists actions/views, you can "climb" out of the cave, finding enlightenment within yourself. He would argue that furthering yourself away from society and the government, you would reach enlightenment faster. He would support this with the idea of civil disobedience.
ReplyDeleteIf Thoreau were to make a cave similar to Platos, it would be based upon transcendentalism. In the cave would be people brainwashed and blinded by the government, outside of the cave would be people like Thoreau who have reached that enlightenment. People trying to get out of the cave would have to transcend beyond human experience in order to fully gain that reality.
ReplyDeleteIf Thoreau attempted to create his own version of Plato's cave it would most likely be based on transcendentalism. Thoreau would describe the "prisoners" inside the cave as the people blinded by the government or society. The government would be represented by the shadows being shown to those prisoners. He would describe the people outside of the cave much like himself in the fact that they are distant from society and government. Thoreau's key to reaching that enlightenment and climbing out of the cave would be to take on more transcendentalists views.
ReplyDeleteIf Thoreau made his own allegory of Plato’s cave it would be based on Transcendentalism. The “prisoners” in the cave would be tax payers that are being controlled by the government. Outside the cave would be people just like Thoreau, not controlled by government and on their way to enlightenment. The people trying to get out the cave would have to reach and look farther than there personal experiences to fully grasp reality.
ReplyDeleteIf Thoreau created a cave like allegory, it would be similar to Plato's. Inside the "cave" would be people who were brainwashed to believe that slavery is just. There, the people would be paying taxes and participating in a society in which they might not agree with. He would call it "ignorance". Outside the "cave" would be knowing that slavery is wrong and he would call that "enlightenment". In order to go from ignorance to enlightenment, you would have to trust your intuition.
ReplyDeleteIf Thoreau attempted to create his own version of the cave allegory to reflect the society and times in which he lived I think that it would be somewhat similar to Plato's because the inside would probably consist of "ignorant"people who are convinced by the government that whatever they say you need to do such as paying taxes is right and the outside would be people who believed that the government was wrong and didn't pay taxes because they didn't want to and kind of rebelled against the rules of government.The enlighten people would be outside the cave and the ignorant people would be stuck inside.
ReplyDeleteIf Thoreau attempted to create his own version of the cave allegory to reflect the society and times in which he lived I think that it would be somewhat similar to Plato's because the inside would probably consist of "ignorant"people who are convinced by the government that whatever they say you need to do such as paying taxes is right and the outside would be people who believed that the government was wrong and didn't pay taxes because they didn't want to and kind of rebelled against the rules of government.The enlighten people would be outside the cave and the ignorant people would be stuck inside.
ReplyDeleteThoreau's idea of the cave would be one that is blackened by "the man", also known as the government. This is because Thoreau is so against our government and what it does. He believes that he is the only one not blinded by their lies. He thinks the government is sucking the life, power, and most of all money out of the everyday citizen. Thoreau's idea of the light would be a just, taxless life. No unecessary possesions and the gift of transcendental knowledge.
ReplyDeleteIf thoureau created a cave the prisoners would been tax payers or people that believe in slavery. To obtain enlightenment one must look to intuition through nature and solitude as did thoreau. Enlightenment is being aware of the false truths of society and being self sufficient.
ReplyDeleteIf Thoreau created a cave it would be like Plato's. Inside the cave, there would be "ignorance", where the people are in a trance believing that slavery is just. They would be contributing to a society that is contrary to their beliefs. On the outside of the cave would be the "enlightened" which would be the philososphers. To get from ignorance to enlightenement you must transcend.
ReplyDeleteIf Thoreau created a cave, it would be like Plato's. Inside of the cave, there would be the people that believed slavery was okay. Their "false reality" would come from the government making them believe that slavery was okay. To free themselves from the cave, they would be enlightened, by knowing that slavery is unjust.
ReplyDeleteIf Thoreau were to make his own cave, it would be similar to Platos. Inside it would be dark and miserable because of his hatred towards our government. He believes that his way of life is the only right way to live. In addition, he consdiers everyone else who lives a "normal" lifestlye as a robot or machine. To be free of the cave one must have a more transcedentalist view.
ReplyDeleteIf Thoreau were to create his own version of the cave allegory, it would be similar in structure to Plato's, yet have different ideas and depictions. For example, the 'prisoners' would be those who were for slavery and supported the government wholeheartedly and the 'illusion' would exemplify slavery and Thoreau's portrayal of the "unjust" government. Also, the 'shadow-casters' would be those who were in power, like the American government and taxers. To escape they had to trust that slavery and catering to the government's every whim is wrong, and that they should trust their instincts in order to reach enlightenment. Therefore, the "intelligent" would refuse to kiss the buttocks of "the man" and instead, be able to create he/she's own ideas and follow them.
ReplyDeleteThoreau's cave would consist of people who pay taxes and want money to be the prisoners and the ones who are controlling them would be the American government. The government is have the people be blinded and pay all these taxes that in their eyes are good. But up on the top of the cave where there is light are the lightened people. These individuals do not pay taxes or follow the government, but they follow their intuition and think for themselves.
ReplyDeleteIf Thoreau were to create a cave of life in his time it would consist of slavery. He highly disagreed with the concept of slavery even though that was the accepted concept in his time. It would also include taxes. Thoreau also loathed the idea of paying taxes and refused to pay them himself. On the bright side at the top of the cave their would be the people like him who don't pay taxes and disagree with slavery. Mister Clark sorry my Internet wasn't working yesterday.
ReplyDeleteSorry this is late
ReplyDeleteIf Thoreau would create a cave I assume that it would be quite similar to Plato's. The people in the cave I feel would have a 'pro-slavery' attitude as well as a strong hatred toward the government. To manage to escape the cave, they would need to realized that slavery was not acceptable.
Thoreau's view would be similar to Plato's. The people in the cave would have to realize that what they are in their for was because of their actions. And to get out of the cave then they will have to confess to their doings .
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