World View

Posted: August 12th, 2013

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World View

Worldview is defined, from a philosophical view, as the cognitive orientation accrued by an individual and the society and the entirety in terms of the knowledge of the society or individual. It is derived from the Germanic perceptions about the world and its fundamentals. Hence, the society derives frameworks, ideals and beliefs through which an individual, groups and the society is able to interact with the world and form fruitful interactions. Plato, in his discourse of Allegory of the Cave, explicitly provides his view of the world. In this discourse, he provides that humankind is in a predicament and subsequently provides a solution for the predicament (Uršič, & Andrew, 14).

Humans are considered innately curious about the world and its surroundings. This is because of their need to ensure they gain more knowledge and progress their race for survival and better living. The Allegory of the Cave provides an avenue for providing elaborate reasons for the occurrences of various events and existence in the world. He provides that there exists an essence in the world, which he defined as the Form. He defined the Form as the existent constant, unyielding part that remains hidden from the world. This Form is different from the world Forms (Uršič, & Andrew, 23).

Essentially a Form has distinct features or uniqueness. For instance, a table has definite characteristics or features, which give definition to a table. Hence, Plato could define such as “tableness” as the table has definite features, which give rise to a table. Additionally, the Form is the true essence of an element whereas the physical representation of the table or any other element is deficient and alterable. Thus, the theoretical aspect of an element is stronger than its physical aspect. Hence, the term table has a stronger meaning in comparison to the true physical aspect of the table (Uršič, & Andrew, 29).

In the Allegory of the Cave, he uses the discourse to provide and elaborate view of the term of perception of whet he initially defines as the Form and essence of an element. He provides in this discourse a situation whereby prisoners are held in a cave and shunned from the world (Heidegger, & Ted, 31). He adds that prisoners are unable to view the world as they have been held in captivity since childhood. The prisoners know the world and other people in the form of shadows. From the illustration he provides, the prisoners’ reality is the presence of shadows, which were derived, from the shadows of the puppets. Hence, if the prisoners were to be released from bondage they would realize that they had existed in an illusion and that the shadows were in essence not real forms of life but a manipulation by their captors.

Plato adds that a prisoner would venture out of the cave and realize that the shadows were because of the presence of light from the fire. Additionally, the light would possibly blind the prisoner prompting him to return to the cave, to the darkness to which he is accustomed. Furthermore, he would venture out of the cave during daytime, the light from the sun would prove also to be a strong force. However, the prisoner would eventually become accustomed to the presence of light (Biffle, & Plato, 39).

Hence, the presence of light would be the best option for the prisoner as he has realized the truth that the shadows were because of the presence of light. This is due to the ability to realize that he as a prisoner and he forms a shadow when light is cast upon his body from sources such as the fire or the sun. His allegory is used to imply that human existence in the world is similar to existence in the prison. Hence, the shadows are what humans in the present world consider as reality such as the surroundings, environment and other aspects in life. Hence, the human race exists in utter ignorance and lack knowledge in the modern world (Biffle, & Plato, 48).

The worldview is also determined by individual and societal experiences. This is also an aspect highlighted in the theoretical aspects of the allegory provided. It is through the experience of the prisoners in captivity that they were of the pinion that the society was made up of shadows. The thought concepts presented in Plato’s discourse playa significant role in the development of individual and societal view of the world. Man is unable to concentrate when removed from darkness into light and from light into the darkness. This is an explicit example of the use of human ignorance to the elements which make up the darkness and such that bring light in the life of man (Heidegger, & Ted, 23).

Humankind according to the allegory of the cave is considered as ignorant to the surroundings and the true from of essence. The truth is sought in the world as illustrated by the discourse provided by Plato. The prisoners sought to find the beings, which brought about the shadows but were astonished to witness the presence of puppets. They discovered light in their efforts to find the truth or beings behind the shadows; additionally they were unable to return into the darkness after discovering the source of light.

In conclusion, the presence of truth affects the direction, which people assume in a society in terms of the norms, values and culture. A society whose basis is on oblivion of the surroundings lives in oblivion as the values, norms and cultures. The society exists in the presence of puppeteers, beings, or elements, which play a significant role in the creation of Forms and World Forms. Form, as Plato describes, is what society gives attribute to various issues based on knowledge whereas the world forms are what is used to give rise to the physical attributes of the issues and elements in the world. Additionally, humankind after discovery of light or the truth is unable to return to the path of false events and elements.