Presenter

1. To discuss a brief background about Plato.

2. To discuss Platos distinction between body
and soul.

3. To understand the relation of the Allegory of
the Cave to Platos Philosophy of the human
person.

4. To explain the importance of education in the
life of the human person.



PLATO (c. 427-348 B.C. E.)
Plato (c.427-348 B.C.E.)
is actually the nickname
of Aristocles.

Greek philosopher who
was the pupil of Socrates
and the teacher of
Aristotle.

Born in Athens, Greece in
427 BC.

Came from a very wealthy
family.

He founded the first university his
Academy (near Athens) in around 385
BC.

His best known work was The Republic,
which featured The Allegory of the Cave.

Died in 347 B.C.E.


Family
Plato's father was Ariston and mother
was Perictione, whose family boasted of a
relationship with the famous
Athenian lawmaker and lyric poet Solon.

Besides Plato himself, Ariston and Perictione had
three other children; two
sons, Adeimantus and Glaucon, and a
daughter, Potone.

Platos contributions to society were:

Knowledge is concrete and practical.

Doctrine of Platonism means theory of
general terms such as justice, peace
and knowledge.

Social justice pertains to giving credit
where credit is due.
According to PLATO human beings
consisted of two distinct entities, body and
soul.

The body is completely physical and
materialistic, being of this world.

The soul which is infused at each birth
into the body is immortal, and spiritual,
and is our true self.


Plato believed that a human was
comprised of a body, which is physical,
and a soul, which is spiritual.
Dualist approach
Made distinction
between the two
Soul
Body
( Ideal World )
( Phenomenal world)
Theory of the Soul
The soul is a non-material
thing.
The soul is capable of
independent existence and
functioning.
It survives the death &
destruction of the body.
The soul is the real
person.
Theory of the Body
The body is a material
thing.
The body is capable of
independent existence,
but not functioning
existing after death.
The body is not the real
person.

Cont:
Theory of the Soul
Soul has ability to know the
truth and to understand the
Forms as they really are
through reason.

The soul is capable of certain
knowledge - the soul must
therefore be unchanging and it
is therefore immortal not only
existing after death but also pre
existing before birth.


Theory of the Body
Body in contrast is physical
and can learn only through
physical sense experience.

The body is in a constant
state of change and
therefore cannot be the
source of knowledge.




In Platos view the soul has three parts namely:
( logical mind)
(relates to our physical needs)
(emotional motive for our
behaviour )

Three basic instincts which animate
us into action.

Reason is the highest and superior
of the three elements. It allows us
to gain knowledge, distinguish from
right and wrong and understand the
forms.
Encourage us to look after the
physical needs of our body need to
be kept in check.
Allows us to love, inspires us to act out
of courage needs to be kept in check
or we become reckless and conceited.
On Plato's view a human being is properly
said to be just when the three souls
perform their proper functions in harmony
with each other, working in consonance
for the good of the person as a whole.
In the Republic, Plato described
humanity as imprisoned in a cave and
mistaking shadows on the wall for reality;
he regarded the philosopher as the
person who penetrates the world outside
the cave of ignorance and achieves a
vision of the true reality, the realm of
Ideas.

( Myth of the Cave )
is a hypothetical scenario, described by
Plato, in the form of an enlightening
conversation between Socrates and his
brother, Glaucon. The conversation
basically deals with the ignorance of
humanity trapped in the conventional ethics
formed by society.
Plato uses this story to illustrate how
human nature is for us to believe and
accept reality as what we have become
accustomed to. However, as the allegory
proves, reality is not always what it
seems. Plato even goes further to explain
how this one prisoner, when he finally
accepts the truth of reality, tries to tell
the other prisoners and lead them out of
the cave.
In the allegory of the cave, Plato says that,
most mankind, this allegory would suggest,
dwells in the darkness of the cave. They
have oriented their thoughts around the
blurred world of shadow. It is the function of
education to lead men out of the cave into
the world of light.
Education was always extremely important
to Plato.
Education is the conversion that leads us
out of the dark of the cave into the light.
This is a type of awakening, once we are
enlightened, we recollect, develop
knowledge, seek genuine well-being,
happiness, and virtue.

Plato believed like many other
philosophers that if our mind was not set
on the goal of real knowledge, then we
will not achieve wisdom or true
knowledge.


Education is the process of learning and
knowing, which is not restricted to our
school text-books. It is a holistic process
and continues through our life. Even the
regular happenings and events around us
educate us, in one or the other way. The
existence of human beings is fruitless
without education. An educated person has
the ability to change the world, as he/she is
brimming with confidence and assured of
making the right moves.


Makes Better Citizens
Ensures a Productive Future
Opens New Vistas
Spreads Awareness
Helps in Decision-Making
Bolsters Confidence








References:

- Brickhouse, Thomas and Smith, Nicholas D. Plato (c.427-347 BC), The
Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, University of Tennessee.

- Lorenz, Hendrik (22 April 2009). "Ancient Theories of Soul". Stanford
Encyclopedia of Philosophy.

- McNeill, David (2010). An Image of the Soul in Speech. University Park:
Pennsylvania State University Press.

- Plato. "Book I Line 344c." Plato Republic. Indianapolis: Hackett, 2004.

- Plato: The Republic. Plato - His Philosophy and his life,
allphilosophers.com

Online References:
www. slideshare.com
www.youtube.com







Activity:

Describe other "caves in modern
life in which people might be
"imprisoned" or feel "imprisoned".