Plato Allegory of the Cave Essay Example for Free

Plato Allegory of the Cave Essay The Allegory of the Cave is one of Greek philosopher Plato’s most well known works. It is an extended allegory, where humans are depicted as being imprisoned by their bodies and what they perceive by sight only. In the allegory of the cave Plato wanted to show how true reality is not always what it seems. A group of prisoners were chained up in a cave since there childhood, each prisoner was chained to each other by their heads.The prisoners were forced to face a blank wall while they were in the cave. Behind the prisoners there was a fire however the prisoners could not see the fire but between the prisoners and the fire there would a be puppet show where people would walk, talk and carry objects to keep the prisoners amused. The prisoners perceive only shadows of the people and things passing on the walkway; the prisoners hear echoes of the talk coming from the shadows. They perceive the shadows and echoes as reality. Whilst in the cave one prisoner is set free. He stands up and turns around and is forced to look at the fire, after the pain in his eyes from the fire he struggles to see anything. The prisoner is dragged out of the cave and into the world above. At first, the prisoner is so dazzled by the light that he can only look at shadows, then at reflections, then finally at the real objects like trees, flowers and houses. He sees that these are even more real than the shadows were, and that those were only copies of reality. The prisoner has now reached the cognitive stage of thought. He has caught his first glimpse of the most real thing, which is the Forms. In the film The Matrix, the humans trapped in the Matrix are like the people in the cave. They see only what the machines want them to see, but they believe they see reality as it really is. They accept what their senses tell them all that exists. Neo suspects that this is all a lie, but he’s not sure how the Matrix works. Morpheus, who runs the resistance to the Matrix, brings Neo into the Resistance, believing that Neo is the person who has been foreseen by the Oracle to be able to defeat the Matrix In The Allegory of the Cave the people creating the shadows represent the powerful people in society. In The Matrix the puppet-handlers are the machines controlled by Artificial Intelligence. The puppet-handlers use fake surroundings as a way to manipulate the information that the prisoners receive. While the prisoners are being fooled and influenced by the fake reality, the puppet-handlers are too because they are also living inside the artificial world they have created as well. Neo lives in world which is controlled by the matrix agents just like Platos prisoner lives in a world (cave) controlled by the form holders. They both manage to escape from the world as they know it and come to know the world as it really is. Neo, with some help from Morpheus, comes to realize that the life he as been leading so far is nothing but the life of a slave, shaped under the control of the Matrix, protected by the agents. Platos prisoner comes to realize first that the shadows he is looking at are not the truth, they are just shadows cast on the wall by the form holders. He sees the fire and as he follows the path which leads him outside of the cave, he sees the sun and everything else illuminated by it. The characters, simultaneously experience shock and then a feeling of fear when they first perceive what is real. Neo is able to see how humans are grown, hooked on wires, an element which symbolizes control just like the chains which tie the prisoners in Platos cave. In the movie as Morpheus and the group decided to leave the matrix they get attacked by the agents, the agents in the movie are just like the government in the allegory. Morpheus decided to flight against the agents will the rest of the group including Neo decided to get out of the matrix but what they dont know is that they were set up by one of there own Cypher. Cypher hates knowing the truth he wants to go back to his normal comfortable life in the matrix he doesnt want to be part of the experience anymore, so he makes a deal with the agents to get his normal life back he tricks Morpheus. The agents and the government are the same they are like the puppets in the allegory fooling the society to make them believe what they want me to believe not allowing them to see what is the truth. Unlike Plato’s prisoner, who managed to find his way out of the cave without any help from others, Neo is helped out by Morpheus. Neo is then faced with a moment of choice would he take the blue pill and stay in the world of the matrix which is the world of the senses or take the red pill, and come to know reality as it objectively exists. He chooses the red pill therefore giving himself the opportunity to experience the world of the mind, the real world and finds it as mind-blowing as Plato’s prisoner finds the enlighten world outside of the cave. The Mirror right after Neo took the red pill and the distorted spoon illusion before Neo went to the Oracle are simply products of the mind. It is in Plato’s Allegory of the cave where this illusion is happening. It is the mind that makes the spoon and the mirror distorted. It is the mind that makes the spoon inexistent, which is considered to be the truth. This spoon is the copy of the spoon of perfection in the world of forms. The spoon does not move by itself but Neo makes it move. In the Allegory Plato says that the freed prisoner would be confused at what he saw. When Neo is finally confronted with the real world, he is in a state of uncertainty. The realization of the truth is so overwhelming that he throws up and passes out. In The Allegory of the Cave, the Freed prisoner might even feel that what he was seeing now was the illusion and the shadows on the wall were actually more real. The freed prisoners first reaction would be to turn around and return to the false reality because it is less painful and more familiar to him. According to Plato, the freed prisoner must have started to question what he saw in front of him and wondered about where the shadows came from. He must have sensed that something was wrong and he wanted to know the truth. This theme is also found in the movie, Neo is very much like the freed prisoner. As Morpheus tells Neo, Youre here because you know something. Morpheus realizes that Neo has a place in society and is there because of what he knows. For Neo to realise this Morpheus says ‘free your mind, let go of doubt’. In conclusion, Platos story of the cave brings up many philosophical points; and, most importantly, it addresses the issue of societys role in our lives. Trinity tells Neo ‘The Matrix can not tell you who you are.’ It seems that the differences between The Allegory of the Cave and The Matrix do not prevent them from telling a similar story about the unreliability of the senses. We find Neo, at the end of the film, doing more than simply bending the laws of physics with the Matrix. It seems like he has stepped almost entirely out of that very world. He does not, however, appear in two places at once, but his destruction of one of the agents, and his ability to fly, says that the laws of physics are bent.

The V-chip :: essays research papers

The V-Chip What is a V-chip? This term has become a buzz word for any discussion evolving telecommunications regulation and television ratings, but not too many reports define the new technology in its fullest form. A basic definition of the V-chip; is a microprocessor that can decipher information sent in the vertical blanking of the NTSC signal, purposefully for the control of violent or controversial subject matter. Yet, the span of the new chip is much greater than any working definition can encompass. A discussion of the V-chip must include a consideration of the technical and ethical issues, in addition to examining the constitutionally of any law that might concern standards set by the US government. Yet in the space provided for this essay, the focus will be the technical aspects and costs of the new chip. It is impossible to generally assume that the V-chip will solve the violence problem of broadcast television or that adding this little device to every set will be a first amendment infringement. We can, however, find clues through examining the cold facts of broadcast television and the impact of a mandatory regulation on that free broadcast. "Utilizing the EIA's Recommended Practice for Line 21 Data Service(EIA-608) specification, these chips decode EDS (Extended Data Services)program ratings, compare these ratings to viewer standards, and can be programmed to take a variety of actions, including complete blanking of programs." Is one definition of the V-chip from Al Marquis of Zilog Technology. The FCC or Capitol Hill has not set any standards for V-chip technology; this has allowed many different companies to construct chips that are similar yet not exact or possibly not compatible. Each chip has advantages and disadvantages for the rating's system, soon to be developed. For example, some units use onscreen programming such as VCR's and the Zilog product do, while others are considering set top options. Also, different companies are using different methods of parental control over the chip. Another problem that these new devices may incur when included in every television is a space. The NTSC signal includes extra information space known as the subcarrier and Vertical blanking interval. As explained in the quotation from Mr. Marquis, the V-chips will use a certain section of this space to send simple rating numbers and points that will be compared to the personality settings in the chip. Many new technologies are being developed for smart-TV or data broadcast on this part of the NTSC signal. Basically the V-chip will severely limit the bandwidth for high performance transmission of data on the NTSC signal. There is also to be cost to this new technology, which will be

Articles in Contrast

It can be interesting how two different newspapers will report the same news in a slightly different manner. This can be viewed in the following two articles that were recently published: â€Å"New commander for Mideast says ‘time is short' on Iraq future† [International Herald Tribune (IHT)] By Brian Knowlton (Published: January 30, 2007) and â€Å"‘Time is short’ for Iraq turnaround: US commander† [Agence France-Presse (AFP)] by Jim Mannion (Published: January 30, 2007) In summation, both articles inform the public that in Admiral William Fallon’s testimony to the US Senate, he stated his belief that a turnaround for success in Iraq is possible if a new strategy is implemented, but the window of opportunity for success is very small. There are two similar photographs that accompany the articles. The AFP stresses a long shot photo of Admiral William Fallon testifying before the US Senate while the IHT uses a similar photo, but one that is a closer, tighter shot. In both photos, the Admiral holds up his hands in a gesture of emphasizing his seriousness. The photos complement the story well as they provide a clear image of the Admiral. Both articles provide the basic facts of the situation that relates to the headline, but then segue into different subject matter. The IHP drifts into a discussion on the dangers that Iran poses to US and Western European interests while the AFP article drifts into reports about civilian casualties and loss of life/ While both articles are factual, it is obvious that both articles also have a certain bias to them. The IHP article clearly tries to label Iran as the main villain in the conflict while the AFP uses the article to make the US war effort look like a grim failure. Granted, Fallon touched on both issues in his testimony, but it is curious how both papers â€Å"cherry picked† what to report and how to report it. To a great degree, the IHP article was far more enjoyable because it had a glimmer of hope in its contents. The AFP article was downbeat and gloomy, emphasizing death and destruction. While the situation in Iraq is dire, there should always be a sense of hope present for the future. Bibliography Knowlton, Brian.   30 January 2007. â€Å"New commander for Mideast says ‘time is short' on Iraq future.† International Herald Tribune. Retrieved 30 January 2007. URL http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/01/30/news/policy.php Mannion, Jim. 30 January 2007. â€Å"‘Time is short’ for Iraq turnaround: US commander† Agence France-Presse. Retrieved 30 January 2007. URL http://news.yahoo.com/ s/afp/20070130/pl_afp/usiraqmilitaryfallon_070130204955   

Essay about The Nature of God and Morality in The Bible

nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; Religious texts have been one of the main sources for laws and social customs since the conception of organized religion. Each religious text provides its followers with a code of conduct they are expected to apply to themselves, their actions, and their institutions. This code of conduct applies to the individual, as well as to the government and society to within which the people exist, and ultimately defines what a just society is in the context of that religion. Using stories and proverbs this code of conduct, and thus just society, is not only set, but also shown in examples. In The Bible, the essence of a just society is laid out within passages that serve as the laws, including Deuteronomy, and the Psalms,†¦show more content†¦The very first value presented with the story of Adam and Eve and the tree of knowledge is that of obedience to a higher power, in this case God. When Adam and Eve disobeyed God, they were punished by banishment from the Garden o f Eden, as well as a formidable curse To the woman he said, I will greatly multiply the pain of your childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children, yet your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you. And to Adam he said, ...cursed is the ground because of you; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life...(p.3 ch.3-16) In punishing Adam the severity of the transgression of disobedience to God is shown, and thus it is implied that obedience to a higher power is a quality favorable to an ideal society. Similarly, in the story of Cain and Abel, Cain is cursed and exiled for the murder of his brother (p.4 ch.4-8). Thus, the act of murder is condemned in an ideal society. In this manner, the stories within The Bible serve as a manner in which the qualities of an ideal society are presented. nbsp; In The Bible there are multiple ideal societies which are presented, each denoted by the Gods approval of that society and its leader. One of these societies is that portrayed in the story of Saul. In this story Samuel, a prophet of God, is given the task of revealing Saul, the ruler who is specifiedShow MoreRelatedPhilosophy: Socrates and The Divine Theory1255 Words   |  6 PagesThe nature of morality is believed to have been heavily impacted by the enduring history of religion, yet philosophical conflict has arisen of over differing interpretations of Socrates question of whether ‘our moral virtues were designed as good by an omnipotent God, or whether they are good because God recognizes them as good.’ The argument stands on the presumed belief in the God of the bible, which results in a contradiction in the infinitely debatable question posed by Socrates. 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