What is the significance of
Plato’s Cave? (2)
To explain different interpretations of the Cave
To begin to think about how we could criticise these
ideas.
Who would be the best leader?
Complete the card sort
In pairs, complete the card sort sheet 1.2 and then
annotate your Plato’s cave cartoon strip with the
different meanings.
Let’s go into some more detail
• Read and highlight the allegorical features of the ‘What
does it all mean?’ information sheet. Then annotate your
storyboard.
A priori vs A posteriori knowledge
Plato showed in the Allegory of the Cave that our senses deceive
us and that empirical (a posteriori) knowledge is flawed. When
he emerged into the real world outside the cave, his power of
reasoning leads him to a philosophical understanding of the truth.
This is a priori knowledge. A priori truths include ideas of
maths and geometry and all things that are true by definition
(analytic statements) - all spinsters are female, all vixen are
foxes. If you have to verify a statement empirically (using your
senses, then it is a synthetic statement) – spinsters are
miserable.
Activity: on the following slide there are a series of
statements – work out if you know them a posteriori, or a
priori.
Before we move on, make sure you have a definition of the key
terms!
A priori vs a posteriori
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)
g)
h)
i)
Everyone wants what is good.
The square root of 81 is 9.
All bachelors are unmarried men.
Some bachelors have penthouses and throw wild
parties.
All things eventually decay and die.
God exists.
Material objects occupy space.
Two parallel lines will ever meet.
Nothing can come from nothing.
Make a table outlining the strengths
and weaknesses of the analogy
How can you criticise Plato’s thinking? Make a table
outlining the strengths and weaknesses of the analogy.
Key points: How can we know the truth? How should
society be organised? Who is the best leader?
Independent Learning
The Glossary needs to be completed.
Other than that - you have loads to do. Make sure that
you have completed your Independent Learning Log by
Thursday’s lesson.
Tomorrow’s lesson will look at essay writing and then on
Thursday we will be looking at Plato’s forms. Please
make sure that you have read and made notes on the
small textbook 14 – 17.
Plenary Pyramid
What is the significance of
Plato’s Cave? (2)
To explain different interpretations of the Cave
Decide whether Plato is successful