In "The Allegory of the Cave", Socrates uses a metaphor to describe people living in an illusion. The prisoners were in a cave and all they were exposed to were shadows. They didn't know that they were looking at shadows. What they thought were books were shadows of books. What they thought were people, were shadows of people. They were figuratively blind. One of the prisoners got to experience the real world and saw the truth. Everything he had ever known was a lie. Actually, illusions aren't lies. They have two different meanings. Lies are told intentionally. A liar intentionally hides the truth from someone. When you are living in an illusion, you are ignorant. You don't have the knowledge to understand that what you know isn't true.
There are many examples in human history that show people all over the world who have lived in an illusion. One person in particular was Ptolemy of Alexandria. Basically, in the second century, he believed that the Earth was in the center of the universe and did not move at all. Supposedly, the Sun, the Moon, planets and the stars revolved around the Earth. That is clearly not true. He didn't know better though.
Although Ptolemy's geocentric theory was wrong, it made others question it and prove it wrong. It probably sparked something in Nicolaus Copernicus. He believed that the planets orbited the Sun and the Moon orbited Earth, which is true. But, he also believed the Sun was the center of the universe and didn't move. That isn't true. So, Ptolemy and Copernicus lived in illusions, much like the prisoners from the cave. Later on, it was discovered that what Ptolemy and Copernicus believed wasn't true.
It is scary to know that I might be living in an illusion. My truth may be something that hasn't been discovered yet. I know the way the government works is an illusion. I just don't know the facts and thats scares me. It makes me ignorant and i need to know the truth.
Resources:
http://www.plusroot.com/dbook/09Illusion.html
http://amazing-space.stsci.edu/resources/explorations/groundup/lesson/basics/g37/
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12 years ago
We are part of the same society and I don't think our reality is entirely a illusion. We are being decieved, but at least the matrix doesn't have us.
ReplyDeleteI see how accepting what he see's as reality is the reason behind Ptolomy's conclusion. Like the cave dwellers interpreting and naming shadows, he looked to the heavens and made a assumption even though it was impossible for him to know the answer. From his perspective, it does appear like the earth is standing still, but there is many more pieces to the puzzle then one perspective. Unlike the cave dwellers who were scorned by enlightenment, Ptolomny I'm sure would have loved nothing more then to know the truth. I like it.
Very nice blog.I can definetly see the parallel between the allegory and your Ptolemy and copernicus with Ptolemy being basically in the cave and believing the earth was the center of the universe and sticking to his theory, and copernicus (leaving the cave) and searching to figure out that the earth revoles around the sun.so basically him going out and finding the truth just like the prisoner in allegory of the cave.
ReplyDeleteHello Jazz, My name is Monica and I'm glad to read your blog #2. Which i like very much.
ReplyDeleteThe Allegory of the cave reading had been a very complex and difficult experience for me. But reading your post had helped me to analyze another interpretation with a very good example and point of view. Very sad to accept how throughout human history the founders of humanity were accused and sacrificed because of their amazing discoveries.
@ Sal: I don't know...Fox News seems to be a doing a good job of creating realities that are not there, and many people in this country watch this channel to get their "facts."
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