DUE THUR, 3/15 Similie of the Cave Reading Questions

Reading Questions

Plato. “The Simile of the Cave.” The Republic.

Answer the following questions in your blog, but also print them out and keep them in your binder in order to reference them in class. Cut and paste the questions in bold, and type your answers in regular font underneath (like we have done before).

[These reading questions are also available as a word document in important documents. If you like, you can download it as a word document, type directly into it, and then cut/paste into your blog. If you start doing this at school, don't forget to email yourself at home or have another way to save it].

There are two sections. You have the choice of doing Section One OR Section Two. Section One asks directed questions that require short answers. It also includes some commentary that is meant to help you focus your thinking about the text. If you are not confident with the text, I suggest you do Section One. If you are confident with the text and would like to write amore in-depth paragraphs you might want to consider Section Two.

ANSWER THE QUESTIONS IN YOUR OWN WORDS – PARAPHRASE, DON’T COPY.

SECTION ONE:

Answer ALL of these questions with short answers (3 - 5 sentences).

1. Socrates asks Glaucon to suppose that one of the prisoners is freed and leaves the cave (p. 242 section 515d). What happens to the prisoner when he gets outside? Why does this happen to the prisoner?

AND

2. Socrates states that the prisoners would try to kill anyone who tries to liberate them and lead them out of the cave (pp. 243 – 244 section 517a). Why would the prisoners kill someone who is trying to lead them outside?

AND

3. While reading pages 243-244 (section 517) keep in mind that the cave represents the way society actually is, while the sun (visible outside the cave) represents knowledge that could make for a better society. Don’t let the wording confuse you, Socrates sometimes calls the outside “the intelligible region” and associates it with “the divine.”

What is special about “the intelligible region” and why is it important for public servants/political leaders (p. 244 section 517 b and e) ?

AND

4. What is wrong with having uneducated people run society? What is wrong with having intellectuals (i.e. well-educated people) run society (p. 323 section 519c)?

AND

5. On pp. 323 – 324 (section 519 section d – section 520) Socrates tells Glaucon what the “job” of a lawmaker is. What is the job of a lawmaker and how is a lawmaker supposed to influence the best minds?

OR ... (If you prefer you can do Section Two below)

SECTION TWO:

Answer ONE of the following questions. Answers should be about ½ a page – 1 page. I will only accept thoughtful and good answers. Don’t be afraid to give it a shot and to take a risk, but do not try to B.S. your way through an answer. YOU MUST DEMONSTRATE THAT YOU HAVE READ THE TEXT. If you write something that you think is particularly thoughtful and think it is worth extra credit, let me know and I’ll consider it.

1. Compare and contrast what Socrates says in “The Simile of the Cave” with Fahrenheit 451. How are characters like Mildred similar to characters in “Simile of the Cave”?

OR

2. How is Beatty's job and philosophy from Fahrenheit 451 similar/different from “the job of the lawgivers” as described by Socrates on pages 245-248?