Philosophers Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Philosophers - Term Paper Example The concept of the cave therefore means that people who believe in empirical knowledge are confined in a cave of ignorance. In Plato’s opinion, the shadows embody people’s perception that empirical evidence is the main source of knowledge. This is to mean, what we see does not represent the truth- it is only a shadow of it. The game of predicting objects showcases how people believe that those who posses empirical knowledge are smart or masters. In reality, these masters do not know any truth. The escaped prisoner stands for philosophers who breakaway from the shackles of ignorance and seek more insight about life. When the enlightened prisoner comes back to share the knowledge he has acquired, the other prisoners threaten to kill him if he tries to free them from their shackles. This theory summarizes what philosophy is all about and is a fact that should be embodied by all philosophers. Most people fear knowing the truth and most would reserve knowledge to their basic senses. However, deep and critical thinking is the only way of gaining the truth. It is worth noting that we cannot rely on what we hear and see as the main source of knowledge or truth. This is because how we see and view things differ from one person to another. For example, some view a glass to be half full while others claim that the glass is half empty. For us to properly gain knowledge, we must therefore come out of the confinement of our senses and apply thorough or philosophical thinking into issues. Socrates was an avid inquirer who questioned everything and it is due to this fact that he was sentenced to death. One of his inquisitive sessions occurred when he questioned Euthyphro about holiness. Euthyphro wants to prosecute his father for the murder of his servant. He believes that, unlike other men he is holy and should prosecute his father as he believes it is the right thing to do in the eyes of the gods and he is unperturbed by the backlash he would receive from his