Comparing Plato s Xi Of The Republic - 1376 Words

In Book XI of The Republic, Socrates introduces three metaphors to help us understand his Theory of the Forms, which says that the only way to acquire true knowledge of the Good, we must turn away from the world of the sensible, and turn to the world of the Forms and intellect. These analogies follow Socrates’ argument earlier in Book XI which is that the only way to correctly rule a city is to master the Forms and understand that ultimate form of the Good which only a true philosopher can achieve. These metaphors are famously called the Analogy of The Sun, The Divided Line, and The Cave, and although these three theories stand alone in revealing insight of what they represent, they are deeply intertwined and essential in understanding†¦show more content†¦Without the sun, there would be no light, and therefore there would be no knowledge which is why Socrates uses the sun to symbolize the closest object that could represent the ultimate Good. In order to better under stand and appreciate the sun analogy, and to further the argument on how to acquire true knowledge, Socrates introduces the analogy of the divided line. The divided line analogy seeks to illustrate four levels of reality; he asks us to imagine a line broken into four segments where the bottom two segments represent the sensory realm and the top two represent our ascension into the realm of true knowledge. The first line is the line of imagination and illusions which is considered by Socrates to be the lowest level of self-actualization and achievement of true knowledge. Often times things that provide instant gratification have no essence, and no true meaning. Things of this nature belong in this line. The next line up is characterized by beliefs. This line signifies a slight ascension into the realm of true knowledge because it deals with the creation of beliefs as a result of slight contact with what is real. The ascension here is minimal because the beliefs deal with physical obj ects rather