Plato Philosophy-the symposium, the allegory of the cave and the Phaedrus

Plato Philosophy

Introduction

Plato, an ancient and influential philosopher, began his works under the teachings of Socrates. Establishing his philosophy school after the death of Socrates, Plato's main agenda was to pass the Socratic thinking style into his students, especially Aristotle. He aimed at guiding them through mathematical conceptual learning to enhance their in-depth understanding of philosophical context. His dialogues with Socrates form the basis of his teachings as the primary information source offers a clear understanding of the importance of philosophy. Plato presented various philosophical works including the symposium, the allegory of the cave and the Phaedrus. In his works, he offers a great excerpt on education, love of wisdom, and moral judgements. This paper seeks to discuss and explains Plato’s philosophical thinking and his views on various issues including the role of philosophy in eradicating ignorance.

Plato’s Philosophical Thinking

Plato’s philosophical thinking is highly persuasive in regard to understanding the place of philosophy in the society. According to Plato, as portrayed in the Phaedrus, the individual souls live in the continuous struggle while seeking salvation not only in the normal state but also in the earthly existence. In reality, both actions and choices of each person determine the way of his or her immortal soul over time. Given the complex structure of cause-and-effect, a universal testing on one’s soul defines individual’s happiness chances. Therefore, through the Phaedrus, Plato seeks to remind people of their own state that can be identified through millennia as differentiated from others and the one’s responsibility to exist.

Apparently, Plato conceptualized collectiveness rather than individual identity as an important aspect of the longevity of people’s lives on the planet. In the pursuit of the myth and argument of non-individualism, Plato augmented that human soul was not the key determinant of individual; identity. Thus, Plato invites humans to explore the soul though disregarding it as the core individuality principle but as a significant identifier of the community which is over and above one’s individuality through his thinking. In this case, an individual could only be considered as just a singular entity concerning causality and identity. Thus, the collectiveness of souls reveals that one should eternally comprehend the soul as an individual concerning determining the identity or proper analysis of the causal responsibility. As such, Plato fashioned non-individuality to convey the message of individual soul as a collective or unit to which it belongs.

It is clear that the world is pressed under the rule of forces over and above individuals. In this regard, the individual souls could be considered as a mass connotation that could in a way deny an individual the subject status of causality or identity. Thus, the individual soul could be viewed as a portion in the collectiveness of soul that determines the continuity of the individual soul parts. Plato observed this concept as the theory of immortality that considers the soul not as individual but non-individuality for the sake of persistence. Arguably, the love of a person goes beyond it as an identity and covers an establishment that transcends the individual soul. In this view, Plato, through the Phaedrus, fashioned Eros as an ultimate unity that forms the basis for an ostensible individual. Therefore, his ideas developed out of the consideration that love does not provide for the “unabridged person” but an “abstract form of characters” apparently consisting of the intricate web of their unique qualities.

In the classical pederasty system, Plato sought to socialize a young agent into a full greater rather than himself, of allowing him to operate and consider of himself as functioning in a “greater whole.” In this regard, the greater whole encompasses of the earth and individual humans are existing in it. Thus, the Plato thought of the classical pederasty system was also in the community but not individuality. Arguably, Plato’s theory of the Eros concluded that human reasons for expressing love toward an individual do not entirely refer to him or her as a “whole person” but a reflection of the greater community. Connecting the collectiveness thought and the consideration of immortality of the soul, Plato seeks not to delve on the survival of individual soul but takes an incoherent view that immaterializes soul. In this regard, the soul is considered as a spiritual element numerically similar in all humans.

Plato’s notion of “play and jokes” centred on their ability to express a noble speech over time. However, in the Symposium, Plato reflects on frankness and openness in speech. Holding the same thought, it is clear that, philosophy lean on theoretical comprehension of human affairs resonates with the practical business of political leadership that governs the affairs. Actually, through the Symposium, Plato stressed the role of political wisdom in persuading and governing people. Arguably, philosophy forms the basis of self-knowledge and understanding of issues that enables an individual to exercise power and leadership over human beings. In this regard, political leaders exemplify captivating stateliness that opens the gates to people’s appreciation of their presentation and political values. Apparently, Plato, in demonstrating the superiority of philosophy over poetry considered the ability of comedy to create unmatched appeal to humans. As such, philosophy appears as the real capstone to poetry in the fact that it illustrates a greater show of wisdom.

Plato considered that the independence of ideas was a reality and only that could be able to ensure objective knowledge and moral standards. Apparently, it is clear that forms or ideas are the simple models of all sequential occurrences, and nothing else is real but the ideas. The plans guarantee intelligence and order in a universe besieged by steady flux. Adding to Socrates' demonstration that individuals considered as competent in ethical issues did not have comprehension appropriate for useful human life, Plato brought in the notion that they lacked the ability to engage fully with desirable forms such as beauty, justice and equality.

Role of Philosophy in Eradicating Ignorance

Agreeing with Plato’s assertion on the place of education in eliminating ignorance cannot be underestimated. From the allegory of the Cave, Plato illustrated people lacking philosophical knowledge on the theory of forms as prisoners restrained in a cave, without the opportunity to “turn” their heads. Arguably, prisoners could only mistake reality with appearance since they lack knowledge. Plato attempts to demonstrate the importance of philosophers in the society in seeking wisdom and truth. However, it is clear that human beings are afraid of education or understanding the concepts of truth in philosophy. Mathematical reasoning is an important aspect in knowledge acquisition as it offers step by step understanding of various learning elements. Philosophy advocates the use of mathematical connotations such as hypotheses in comprehending philosophical forms such as justice, equality and beauty. It is also through philosophy that human beings can establish a clear-cut relationship between the state, cosmos and the soul. In broad spectrum, Plato considered educations a means to both social and individual justice.

Concerning education, Plato argues that individual justice could be achieved when every individual’s ability develops fully. In this regard he considered justice to mean excellence. From the allegory of the cave, Plato acknowledges that excellence is a virtue concluding that as a virtue it could be obtained through different steps; knowledge of individual’s job, self-knowledge and finally the knowledge of the notion of good. In connection to social justice, Plato augments that people could live harmoniously if the get equal opportunity in education earlier in life to establish a healthy competition. In the absence of equal educational chance, the society becomes unjust leading to defective democracy, oligarchy, tyranny or timocracy because governments are run by unqualified leaders. Therefore, to solve educational problems, the society needs the platonic theory on education to derive broad vision in developing appropriate solutions.

Conclusion

Plato developed a greater concern on the principal philosophical challenge of establishing art theory that would demonstrate knowledge and existence. Though he understood the radical harmonious organization of the universe, Plato sought to create a comprehensive yet succinct philosophical structure. In this regard, he tried to create a clear connection between cosmos, the soul and the state. Irrevocably, Plato aimed at showing the rational relationship that exists among the three elements. Thus, this was the fundamental theme of the allegory of the Cave, the Symposium and the Phaedrus. In his works, Plato offered a great excerpt on education, the love of wisdom and moral judgements. Apparently, philosophy is an important concept in understanding the individual soul and the connection of person’s to non-individuality. Considering the soul as a community, Plato presents human soul as immortal guided not by singular identity but collectiveness. Thus, Plato demonstrated an in-depth philosophical thinking that not only described the soul from non-individuality but also illustrated the role of philosophy in eradicating ignorance. Concerning education, Plato offered a clear analysis on achieving both individual and social justice through equal educational opportunity.