MODULE 1 Doing Philosophy

UNIT I Methods of Philosophizing

 A N A L L E G O RY ( A L - E H - G O H - R E E ) I S A  S T O R Y W I T H I N A S T O R Y. I T
H A S A “ S U R FA C E S T O R Y ” A N D A N O T H E R S TO R Y H I D D E N
U N D E R N E AT H . F O R E X A M P L E , T H E S U R FA C E S T O RY M I G H T B E
A B O U T T W O N E I G H B O R S T H R O W I N G R O C K S AT E A C H O T H E R ’ S
H O M E S , B U T T H E H I D D E N S T O RY W O U L D B E A B O U T WA R B E T W E E N
C O U N T R I E S . S O M E A L L E G O R I E S A R E V E RY S U B T L E , W H I L E O T H E R S What is an Allegory?
(LIKE THE ROCK-THROWING EXAMPLE) CAN BE MORE OBVIOUS.
H T T P S : / / L I T E R A RY T E R M S . N E T / A L L E G O RY /
O N E WAY T O U N D E R S TA N D T H E A L L E G O RY O F T H E C AV E B Y P L AT O I S T O P E R C E I V E I T A S A “ S T O RY ”
O F H O W T H E H U M A N P E R S O N E N C O U N T E R S T H I N G S A N D T H U S B E C O M E PA RT O F T H I S K N O W L E D G E .
T H E C AV E
I N P L AT O ’ S T H E O RY, T H E C AV E R E P R E S E N T S P E O P L E W H O B E L I E V E T H AT K N O W L E D G E C O M E S F R O M
W H AT W E S E E A N D H E A R I N T H E W O R L D – E M P I R I C A L E V I D E N C E . T H E C AV E S H O W S T H AT
B E L I E V E R S O F E M P I R I C A L K N O W L E D G E A R E T R A P P E D I N A ‘ C AV E ’ O F M I S U N D E R S TA N D I N G .
THE SHADOWS
THE SHADOWS REPRESENT THE PERCEPTIONS OF THOSE WHO BELIEVE EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE
E N S U R E S K N O W L E D G E . I F Y O U B E L I E V E T H AT W H AT Y O U S E E S H O U L D B E TA K E N A S T R U T H , T H E N
Y O U A R E M E R E LY S E E I N G A S H A D O W O F T H E T R U T H . I N P L AT O ’ S O P I N I O N Y O U A R E A ‘ P L E B ’ I F Y O U
B E L I E V E T H I S ( T H E I R I N S U LT F O R T H O S E W H O A R E N O T P H I L O S O P H E R S ) !
THE ESCAPE
THE ESCAPED PRISONER REPRESENTS THE PHILOSOPHER, WHO SEEKS KNOWLEDGE OUTSIDE OF
T H E C AV E A N D O U T S I D E O F T H E S E N S E S .
THE SUN REPRESENTS PHILOSOPHICAL TRUTH AND KNOWLEDGE
HIS INTELLECTUAL JOURNEY REPRESENTS A PHILOSOPHERS JOURNEY WHEN FINDING TRUTH AND
WISDOM
THE RETURN
T H E O T H E R P R I S O N E R S R E A C T I O N T O T H E E S C A P E E R E T U R N I N G R E P R E S E N T S T H AT P E O P L E A R E
SCARED OF KNOWING PHILOSOPHICAL TRUTHS AND DO NOT TRUST PHILOSOPHERS.
/
H T T P S : / / W W W . P H I L O S O P H Y Z E R . C O M / T H E - A L L E G O R Y - O F - T H E - C AV E - B Y - P L A T O - S U M M A R Y - A N D - M E A N I N G

Plato’s Allegory of the Cave

 TRUTH: A L E T H E I A , E M U N A H , V E R I TA S
S O M E T H I N G TO B E D E S I R E D , P U R S U E D , K N O W N ,
EXPERIENCED
THROUGH TRUTH
ENCOUNTER, EXPERIENCE, DISCOURSE, CONSENSUS
L I B E R AT E S M A N F R O M T H E S H A C K L E S O F I G N O R A N C E
 PHILOSOPHY IS NOT JUST A DISCIPLINE.
IT IS SOMETHING THAT IS DONE.
DOING PHILOSOPHY IS SEEKING AND ARRIVING
AT THE TRUTH – TRUTHS ABOUT THE HUMAN Doing Philosophy
PERSON
 THERE ARE MANY METHODS TO KNOW THINGS.
HOWEVER, PHILOSOPHY TRIES TO KNOW THINGS IN A DEEPER
WAY T H A N M O S T.
E N C O U N T E R A N D E X P E R I E N C E A R E I N VA L U A B L E – S TA RT S
F R O M W O N D E R , C U R I O U S I T Y, D E S I R E T O K N O W Methods of Philosophy
H AV I N G A D I S C O U R S E W I T H W H AT I S E X P E R I E N C E D I S
E X PA N D I N G W H AT H A S B E E N K N O W N
O P E N N E S S I S A G R E AT AT T I T U D E
L I K E W I S E , R O O T E D N E S S I N R E A L I T Y I S N O T TO B E TA K E N F O R
GRANTED