Rhonda,

Your Philosophy class sounds sort of like my anthropology class which met
its demise tonight.  I recall reading that story for one of my classes.  I
agree that it could be beliefs.  I had to keep starting and stopping it
though as I tended to fall asleep.  I think it could be darkness and light
too.

Vicki
----- Original Message -----
From: "Rhonda" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, January 24, 2005 9:04 AM
Subject: [ECHURCH-USA] philosophy myth of the cave


> Hi guys,  well, I'm taking  intro to philosophy, we are reading Plato's
Myth
> Of the Cave
> any of you philosophically blessed!
> it's really an interesting story sort of, all about  people who are kept
in
> a cave, and they can only look in front of them, they see shadows, and
hear
> voices, and think that these things are real, when in actuality they are
> only from the people who come in to the cave, there are people who bring
> statues of animals and walk by, and their shadows are shown on the walls.
> Now, one day, one of the prisoners is  let loose from the chains that keep
> him from turning his head, he sees light, which hurts his eyes.
> Oh, forgot! there is a fire behind the prisoners,  the prisoner tries to
> turn back towards the darkness, but  he is forced to go forward until he
is
> outside of the cave and in the bright sunshine! this hurts his eyes even
> more, at first he can only see reflections in water, but gradually grow
used
> to the sun.
> Then what would happen if he were put back in to the cave after seeing
> reality,
> I thought that perhaps this could be talking of beliefs as well, a
comentary
> I read said Plato was talking about education, but I thought it could be
> talking about beliefs, if for example one believed that certain people
were
> bad, it would be hard convince him otherwise, and once convinced,  how
could
> you put him back in an oppressive system?
> Well, just thought I'd give you all a philosophical moment,
> what do you think?
>
> Rhonda
>