Interpretation of the Cave Metaphor in Plato's the Republic in Ancient Greek Philosophy Course

Abstract

: The Republic is the work of Plato's ideal country. The seventh volume discusses the issue of cave metaphor. Cave metaphor describes a story happened inside and outside the cave. In a cave, a group of bound prisoners took illusion as reality. One of the prisoners was unbound, he went out of the cave then saw the sun and the idea of supreme goodness, and then he returned to the cave to rescue the people, but was ostracized until he was killed. Thus Plato conceived an ideal country. In order to govern the ideal country, we should train the king of philosophy as the defender of the country, so that he can take on the task of rescuing the ignorant people in the cave and making them turn their souls. Plato conceived such a philosophical kingship, aiming at achieving the harmonious unity of philosophy and politics.