GEED 10093 | Ethics | Prof. ANDAMAN ALIMAN JR.
ALLEGORY OF THE CAVE: ANALYSIS
Assignment:
Social or Political analysis of Allegory of the Cave.
300-350 words
- Times New Roman
- 12
- Single space
- Justified
- PDF File
- File name: Surname_Plato
- Deadline: May 14 (11:59 PM)
What is a Social Analysis?
 includes examining people’s values and beliefs to
determine how people and communities interpret the
possible impacts of alternative actions on their day-to-
day quality of life.
 the practice of systematically examining a social
problem, issue or trend, often with the aim of
prompting changes in the situation being analyzed.
 it is basically looking at how people think and feel
about different things, like their values and beliefs, to
understand how different actions might affect their
everyday lives.
 it is like taking a close look at a social issue or
problem, trying to figure out what’s going on, and
often trying to find ways to make things better.
 it’s about understanding people and their
communities, and trying to make positive changes
based on that understanding.
What is a Political Analysis?
 aims at answering a given question concerning a
certain political process, event, as well as at predicting
future developments.
 such paper could also analyze an event or process
from the past; hence, it does not necessarily deal with
present situations and cases.
 it is about a political phenomenon that can be proven
or defended through analysis of primary source
material.
 an analysis must include causes, motives, factors, and
results of analysis processes.
 the introduction must convince the reader that your
topic was worth investigating.
 outline the question, touch upon its societal
significance and define key concepts.
 the conclusion must summarize the findings and if
appropriate, open up the issue or debate.
 when you do a political analysis, you’re looking at
evidence and trying to understand why things
happened the way they did.
 you’re trying to figure out what caused certain
political events, what motivated people to act in
certain ways, and what the results of those actions
were.
 to do this, you need to be convincing in your writing.
you have to explain why your topic is important and
define any key terms or ideas.
Difference between the two
1. Focus
PA – Focuses specifically on political processes,
institutions, power dynamics, and decision-making
within societies. It looks at how governments operate,
how laws are made, and how political actors interact.
SA – Broadly examines the social aspects of human life,
including cultural norms, social structures, relationships,
and behaviors. It delves into topics such as education,
religion, family, gender, race, and class.
2. Scope
PA – Typically concentrates on understanding political
phenomena, such as elections, policymaking,
governance, revolutions, diplomacy, and international
relations. It often seeks to explain why political events
occur and predict future developments.
SA – Takes a wider view, encompassing various aspects
of society beyond politics. It might explore societal
issues like inequality, discrimination, poverty,
healthcare, migration, and environmental sustainability.
3. Methods
PA – Often employs political science theories,
frameworks, and methodologies, including quantitative
analysis, qualitative research, case studies, and
comparative politics. It may involve analyzing political
documents, conducting surveys, or studying historical
trends.
SA – Utilizes interdisciplinary approaches, drawing
from sociology, anthropology, psychology, economics,
and other social sciences. Researchers may use surveys,
interviews, participant observation, ethnography,
content analysis, or statistical techniques to understand
social phenomena.
4. Purpose
PA – Seeks to explain and understand political
phenomena, inform policymaking, and sometimes
advocate for specific political outcomes or reforms. It
often aims to provide insights into the functioning of
governments and political systems.
SA – Aims to understand societal dynamics, identify
social problems, and propose solutions to improve the
well-being of individuals and communities. It may
contribute to social policy development, community
interventions, and social justice initiatives.
Political Analysis zooms in on the structures and
processes of governance.
Social Analysis examines the broader fabric of
society and its impacts on people’s lives.
Allegory of the Cave
- “The Allegory of the Cave” is a selection from a
larger work called “The Republic” written about 375
BCE by the Greek philosopher Plato.
- this piece of writing is considered really important
because it raises deep questions about how humans
see and understand things.
- to illustrate these ideas, Plato uses an allegory which
is a form of storytelling that uses symbolism to
represent larger or complex ideas.
Summary
 it begins with a group of prisoners who have lived
their entire lives in a cave. They are chained to a wall
unable to turn their heads. So all they see is a wall
onto which shadows are projected.
 above and behind them is a fire that other men use to
cast these shadows. They hold up statues and figures
of animals occasionally making noises like a puppet
show and silhouette.
 because this is all the prisoners have known, the
shadows are their perceived reality.
 one of these prisoners is set free and turns to see the
fire behind them.
 the prisoner is told that the shadows were merely an
illusion.
 the brightness of the fire hurts his eyes as he struggles
to perceive this new reality.
 the prisoner is then dragged fully out of the cave and
into the glaring sunlight.
 once the prisoner’s eyes have adjusted, he will slowly
realize that this reality is far more real than the one he
knew before. Instead of the mere shadow of a tree, he
sees an actual tree.
 the prisoner then returns to share this enlightenment
with his fellow prisoners but as the re-enters the cave
he’s effectively blind once again for his eyes are no
longer accustomed to the darkness.
 seeing his blindness, his fellow prisoners assume that
he has completely lost his mind.
 they mock him by leaving the cave in the first place
and vow to kill him if he tries to make them do the
same.
 end.
Meanings and interpretations
 just like “The Matrix,” Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave”
deals with big questions:
 the quest for enlightenment
 the nature of reality
o “How do you define real? If you’re
talking about what you can feel, what you
can smell, what you can taste and see then
real is simply electrical signals interpreted
by your brain. And overcoming those
would keep us in the dark.”
 in the allegory, Plato describes the journey from
ignorance to enlightenment.
 Plato says that when you go on a journey of learning
and understanding, it’s like your soul is climbing up
to a higher level of knowledge and understanding.
Those who actively pursue and achieve this
enlightenment would gain a deeper understanding of
important truths about our lives and existence.
 Plato suggests that to build a perfect society, we
should be governed by people who have a clear
understanding of truth and wisdom, rather than those
who only see things superficially and ignore deeper
truths.
 in most interpretations, the prisoners represent us –
the average person.
 but who are the shadow makers and puppeteers?
- they could be politicians whose aim is to keep
us passive and ignorant.
- they could be the media showing us images
that we build our realities around.
- they could be religious figures interpreting the
divine for us.
- they could even be our parents imposing their
own beliefs on us before we form them for
ourselves.
 we’re still studying the allegory of the cave because
the questions Plato asks are still relevant.

Political symbolism
 it portrays how humans are stuck in a world of
illusions, unaware of deeper truths. By becoming
more self-awake and questioning their surroundings,
they can break free from this illusion and understand
the world more profoundly.
 it emphasizes the importance of understanding
abstract concepts (ideas) through reasoning, rather
than relying solely on our limited experiences in the
physical world. This suggests that true knowledge
comes from deep thinking and reflection, rather than
just accepting surface-level opinions based on what
we see and feel.