reader for the interpretive section of the cave passage, which concludes with definition Socrates’ of true education. When, after a long period of adjustment, the prisoner would finally be able to see the sun and study it, he would conclude that the sun the seasons and the years, ‘provides governs everything in the visible world, and is in some way the cause of all the things that he used to (516 b7-9). Socrates proceeds to a more extended, poetically embellished, and see’ somewhat puzzling account of how, if there had been any honors, praises, or prizes among them [the prisoners in the cave] for who was the sharpest at identifying shadows as they passed by and who best remembered which usually came earlier, which later, and which simultaneously, and who could thus best divine the future, do you think that our man would desire those rewards or envy those among the prisoners who were honored and held power? Instead, he feel, with Homer, that much prefer to the earth as a serf to another, wouldn’t he’d ‘work one without and go through any sufferings, rather than share their opinions and live as possessions,’ they do? (516c7-d6) Socrates goes on to remark that if the escaped prisoner returned to the cave, his eyes would now be with when he tried to discern things there, and he would become the subject ‘filled darkness’ of ridicule among the unenlightened prisoners. This passage is complex, and we can begin by asking some simple questions: why is Socrates so concerned with the attitude to and in the world prisoner’s ‘honors,’ ‘praises,’ ‘prizes’ of the cave? Why does he quote Homer at this point, and what is the significance of this particular quotation? We need to keep in mind that the passage sets the stage for the interpretive section of the cave image, which immediately follows. It would be reasonable to consider the possibility, then, that Plato crafts this passage of narrative to set Glaucon up to be Socrates’ persuaded by the interpretation that follows. Indeed, I would suggest that, after it lays the groundwork for the conception of the Good that will soon be revealed explicitly, this passage aims to boost about education, and to invest the cave image with a Socrates’ (Plato’s) authority particular sense of seriousness and urgency.
reader for the interpretive section of the cave passage, which concludes with Socrates’ definition of true education. When, after a long period of adjustment, the prisoner would finally be able to see the sun and study it, he would conclude that the sun ‘provides the seasons and the years, governs everything in the visible world, and is in some way the cause of all the things that he used to see’ (516 b7-9). Socrates proceeds to a more extended, poetically embellished, and somewhat puzzling account of how, if there had been any honors, praises, or prizes among them [the prisoners in the cave] for who was the sharpest at identifying shadows as they passed by and who best remembered which usually came earlier, which later, and which simultaneously, and who could thus best divine the future, do you think that our man would desire those rewards or envy those among the prisoners who were honored and held power? Instead, wouldn’t he feel, with Homer, that he’d much prefer to ‘work the earth as a serf to another, one without possessions,’ and go through any sufferings, rather than share their opinions and live as they do? (516c7-d6) Socrates goes on to remark that if the escaped prisoner returned to the cave, his eyes would now be ‘filled with darkness’ when he tried to discern things there, and he would become the subject of ridicule among the unenlightened prisoners. This passage is complex, and we can begin by asking some simple questions: why is Socrates so concerned with the prisoner’s attitude to ‘honors,’ ‘praises,’ and ‘prizes’ in the world of the cave? Why does he quote Homer at this point, and what is the significance of this particular quotation? We need to keep in mind that the passage sets the stage for the interpretive section of the cave image, which immediately follows. It would be reasonable to consider the possibility, then, that Plato crafts this passage of Socrates’ narrative to set Glaucon up to be persuaded by the interpretation that follows. Indeed, I would suggest that, after it lays the groundwork for the conception of the Good that will soon be revealed explicitly, this passage aims to boost Socrates’ (Plato’s) authority about education, and to invest the cave image with a particular sense of seriousness and urgency.