Allegory of the cave discussion

OPTION 2: ART, ILLUSION, AND REALITY

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GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR DISCUSSIONS: Your contributions should be thoughtful and developed. Answer all parts of the question and use concepts from the course materials. Use a professional style of communication, with attention to grammar, spelling, and typos; cite your sources.

Answer ONE of following questions and give a substantive response to at least two other students.

OPTION 1: THE ALLEGORY OF THE CAVE

For this discussion, we will reflect on Plato’s Allegory of the Cave and relate this philosophical story to our study of the arts. (Search YouTube to hear it narrated by the great actor Orson Welles.)

An allegory is a story where the elements are symbolic. What do you see as the symbolism of the cave, the shadows on the wall, the prisoners, the man who escapes, the daylight outside? Do you know of other stories that make similar points?

The story assumes there are major difference between “appearances” and “reality,” and that “reality” is (higher, better, accurate). What does this mean for the arts? Arts and letters may present “appearances” quite unlike what they show. In short, the style of the arts is often not “realistic.” Does this mean that what the arts convey is always more like illusion than reality? Use an example and explain your thinking.

Have you ever accepted an illusion as reality? How did you recognize that you were mistaken? Did that recognition change you in any important way, or was it more like a minor correction to your perception? Do you think that people today live in a world of “shadows”? Are we imprisoned in some way, with our minds shackled? Explain your thinking.

OPTION 2: ART, ILLUSION, AND REALITY

Read this excerpt from Book X of Plato's Republic about art and imitation.

Describe how this conversation between Socrates and Glaucon relates to the Allegory of the Cave? Given the information about reality, illusion and the arts from both sources, what do you think Plato's position on the arts is? Do you agree or disagree? Why?

Now, provide an example from one of the arts that you think could be used to illustrate Plato's position on the arts and explain how it does.

I really enjoyed Plato’s Allegory of the Cave. I watched the clip several times. When focusing on the symbolism in the story I related the cave to the world. I think the shadows are people’s individual truths and beliefs. The prisoners are society and the man who escapes are the people who search for knowledge. The sun represents truth for those who are willing and ready to search for it.

I absolutely think there is a big difference in appearances and reality. In the same way, I think that peoples experiences, views and beliefs play a big part in distinguishing between the two, I think it is up to the artist. You don’t always get what you see, you may hear a song, read a poem, look at a painting and interperate it differently or hear something different each time. As your knowledge and understanding deepen over time you might also be able to take a more in depth meaning from arts. Similar to the prisoner who escaped, you can only absorb what you are willing and able to. I wouldn’t say the arts are more of an illusion than reality all the time but in my opinion they tend to be more dramatized and exaggerated.

A situation where I had an illusion that I accepted as reality was