Plato

1. The Cave

1.1. Prisoners

1.1.1. Tied up

1.1.2. Facing wall

1.1.3. Watching the shadows

1.1.3.1. Created by fire and puppets

1.1.4. Hearing echos

1.1.5. One is set free, experiences world of reality

1.1.5.1. Goes back in, others threaten to kill him

1.1.5.1.1. Allegory of Socrates

1.2. Inside

1.2.1. World of illusion

1.2.1.1. Where us humans are stuck

1.3. Outside

1.3.1. World of reality

1.3.1.1. Philosophy provides enlightenment to get you out

2. The Forms

2.1. World of Forms is outside the cave

2.2. The Sun: Form of the Good

2.2.1. Most important

2.2.2. Necessary for existance

2.2.3. Highest form, source of all others

2.3. Characteristics

2.3.1. Each Form is the perfect example of the imperfect copies in the world

2.3.2. Unchanging

2.3.3. Immortal

2.3.4. Outside the world

2.3.5. Souls are aware of the Forms, philosophy has to be used to unlock their knowledge

2.3.6. Hierachy:

2.3.6.1. Good

2.3.6.1.1. Beauty

2.3.6.1.2. Justice

2.3.6.1.3. Truth

3. Criticisms

3.1. No evidence of Forms

3.2. How do you account for the multitude of variations in species and objects?

3.3. Cave is an unrealistic analogy. Is the point just as unrealistic?

3.4. Aristotle's Third Man argument (p.11)