Essay Prompt: Plato’s ‘Allegory of the Cave’ is a timeless characterization of the difference between
appearance and reality. Describe the analogy, thinking through the following questions:
How does Plato relate the analogy to that of the ‘Divided Line’?
What key distinctions is he attempting to illustrate within each level of the analogy?
What relevance do these analogies within analogies have for a human living in the 21st century?
Are there any examples from your own life that particularly fit the ‘Allegory of the Cave’? Why or why not? Align
to and explain the relevance of your example with the four types of knowledge illustrated by Plato in the
analogy of the ‘Divided Line’.
Finally, explain the relationship between the following quote and Plato’s work: “Our desire to conform is greater
than our desire to for objective facts
Sample Solution
