Week 1: Socrates

 
In the Allegory of the Cave, Socrates suggests that, without philosophical education, we are all like the prisoners in the cave. What are your thoughts on this? How is philosophy supposed to be liberating? Do you think Socrates is right to be so pessimistic about life without philosophy?

Allegory of the Cave is a distinct and evident story revealing the human process of awakening the understanding towards wisdom and reality. Through physical appearance many people grasp the general concept by default, just as the men saw the shadows and connected them to their knowledge of appearances. However the exposure to the world and its reality requires a much larger effort not based on any of our five senses, the psychological awareness is necessary for understanding the earth and what actually lies in it. Until proper exposure and understanding is gained we are all just prisoners in the cave, blind to reality and the correct understanding of the world we live in.

Philosophy is liberating to a certain extent for me. The thoughts generated by our minds are thought to be answered and freed by philosophy, however the mind of the individual is constantly looking to find the great understanding of reality without a straightforward answer. In my eyes the mind is never at ease because of its high alertness to exploring for the wisdom of the truth.

Socrates on death row had already come to peace and terms with his current state of being and all that he was able to take in from the world and his successful philosophical journey in life. His acceptance to involve philosophy in every part of his mind was liberating and payed off, however people vary and some can calmly explore the depths and theories of philosophy while some find it enslaving to their minds and to their mental perceptions never putting their thoughts at ease.