Question 1

According to Plato, the prisoners in the cave . . .
A) Are only acquainted with the shadows of objects cast by a fire they can't see
B) Don't see each other, but only each other's shadows
C) Hear only echoes, which bounce off of the wall they face
D) All of the above

Accepted Answer

Plato's Allegory of the Cave describes prisoners who are chained in such a way that they can only see the wall of the cave in front of them, where shadows of objects, cast by a fire behind them, are visible. They cannot see the objects directly, only their shadows, and they cannot see each other, only the shadows of each other. The sounds they hear are echoes bouncing off the cave walls, which they mistakenly attribute to the shadows.

Question 2

What do the prisoners in the cave think is real?
A) The sun, outside the cave
B) The objects that cast the shadows on the way they look at
C) The shadows with which they're acquainted
D) The form of the good

Accepted Answer

The prisoners in Plato's allegory of the cave believe the shadows cast on the wall, which they see from birth and are familiar with, are the real objects, not understanding these are merely reflections of the true forms outside their limited view.

Question 3

What will happen to the prisoners immediately after they leave the cave, according to Plato?
A) They will finally understand the truth
B) They will want to learn more
C) They will be pained and unable to see the things whose shadows they'd seen before
D) They will immediately perceive the things whose shadows they'd seen before

Accepted Answer

According to Plato's Allegory of the Cave, prisoners who leave the cave will initially be pained and unable to see the things whose shadows they had seen before, due to the overwhelming brightness of the real world compared to the dimness of the cave.

Question 4

What will happen to the prisoner who leaves the cave, after they come to understand what they see?
A) They will wish they could go back to the cave
B) They will no longer identify with life in the cave; they'll see it as impoverished
C) They will want to go back into the cave to impress the people there
D) They will wish they could forget what they've learned

Accepted Answer

The prisoner who leaves the cave and comes to understand the outside world will no longer identify with life in the cave, seeing it as impoverished. This is because, according to Plato's allegory, the journey outside the cave represents the philosopher's path to knowledge and enlightenment, leading them to perceive the cave (or the life of ignorance) as lacking in comparison to the reality they have discovered.

Question 5

How does Plato think our situation is like those of the prisoners in the cave?
A) It will be difficult for us to learn of the intelligible realm
B) We're acquainted with the visible realm but can achieve knowledge of the intelligible realm
C) Once we learn of the intelligible realm, we'll be reluctant to occupy ourselves with human affairs
D) All of the above

Accepted Answer

The answer of How does Plato think our situation is...

Question 6

What is education, according to Plato?
A) It is instilling knowledge in the soul
B) It is the craft of giving the soul the proper direction for where to look for knowledge
C) It is instilling sight in the soul
D) None of the above

Accepted Answer

Plato viewed education as the process of guiding the soul towards the right direction to discover knowledge, rather than simply instilling knowledge or sight into the soul. This concept is evident in his allegory of the cave, where education is portrayed as a journey of enlightenment and discovery.

Question 7

Who should rule the city, for Plato?
A) Business people
B) Those who are good in day-to-day affairs
C) Those who don't want to rule
D) Those who want to rule

Accepted Answer

The answer of Who should rule the city, for Plato?
A)...

Question 8

In what two ways can a soul be disturbed and unable to see something?
A) If it is reluctant or if it is unwilling
B) If it is too accustomed to the dark or afraid to look to the light
C) If it is too focused on making money or having families
D) If it is too accustomed to the dark or too accustomed to the light

Accepted Answer

The answer of In what two ways can a soul...

Question 9

Why is it okay to compel philosophers to rule?
A) Because the city is responsible for putting them in a position to be philosophers
B) Because it will be better for the city as a whole
C) Because they are the best qualified to rule
D) None of the above

Accepted Answer

Philosophers are compelled to rule because the city has nurtured and educated them, thus they owe it to the city to use their wisdom for its benefit.

Question 10

Why isn't it enough to just be a good reasoner, for Plato?
A) Because being a good reasoner doesn't make one strong
B) Because being a good reasoner doesn't mean one wants to rule the city
C) Because someone can be a good reasoner but focused on the wrong things
D) Because good reasoners often don't have common sense

Accepted Answer

Plato believed that being a good reasoner was not sufficient because one could still focus their reasoning on the wrong or unjust things. He emphasized the importance of directing reasoning towards the good and just.

Question 11

The prisoners in the cave, Plato explains, are only acquainted with shadows and echoes.

Accepted Answer

In Plato's Allegory of the Cave, the prisoners are indeed described as only being familiar with shadows and echoes, which they perceive as reality, not knowing the true forms outside the cave.

Question 12

When people leave the cave, everything will immediately become clear to them.

Accepted Answer

Exiting the cave in Plato's allegory represents the journey towards understanding and enlightenment, which is a gradual process, not an immediate revelation.

Question 13

For Plato, inside the cave is importantly different from our situation in the visible realm.

Accepted Answer

Plato's allegory of the cave illustrates that the inside of the cave, where prisoners only see shadows, represents our situation in the visible realm, where we perceive mere reflections of the true Forms or realities.

Question 14

Plato thinks that knowledge of the intelligible realm is more valuable than of the visible realm.

Accepted Answer

Plato posits that knowledge of the intelligible realm, which includes the Forms or Ideas, is more valuable and true than knowledge of the visible realm, which is changeable and unreliable. This is a central tenet of his theory of Forms.

Question 15

It isn't important, for Plato, that those who have become acquainted with the form of the good lead cities.

Accepted Answer

For Plato, it is crucial that those who have become acquainted with the form of the good lead cities, as he believes they are best equipped to rule justly and wisely. This is a central theme in his work "The Republic," where he outlines the philosopher-king concept.

Question 16

The experience machine gives you
A) any experience you desire.
B) any experience that is ethical.
C) any experience that is technologically possible.
D) any experience you need for survival.

Accepted Answer

The experience machine is a thought experiment that suggests it can provide any experience you desire, regardless of whether it is ethical, technologically possible, or necessary for survival.

Question 17

Nozick claims that, in addition to our experiences mattering to us,
A) what we believe matters to us.
B) the experiences of others matter to us.
C) being connected to a deeper reality matters to us.
D) not being deceived matters to us.

Accepted Answer

Nozick argues that being connected to a deeper reality matters to us, beyond just having pleasurable experiences, as illustrated by his thought experiment of the Experience Machine.

Question 18

Nozick believes that
A) most, if not all, of us would enter the experience machine.
B) most, if not all, of us would not enter the experience machine.
C) roughly half of us would enter the experience machine.
D) more people than not would enter the experience machine.

Accepted Answer

Nozick argues that most people would not choose to enter the experience machine because it offers only simulated experiences, suggesting that we value actual experiences and reality over mere pleasure.

Question 19

Nozick says he would enter the experience machine.

Accepted Answer

Robert Nozick argued against entering the experience machine, proposing that humans value being in touch with reality and leading an authentic life over mere pleasure.

Question 20

Nozick claims that entering the experience machine is a kind of suicide.

Accepted Answer

Nozick argues that choosing to live in an experience machine, where one's experiences are artificially generated, is a form of suicide because it involves giving up one's actual life and engagements with reality, effectively ending one's existence in the real world.

Quiz 3: Knowledge and Reality

According to Plato, the prisoners in the cave . . .

What do the prisoners in the cave think is real?

What will happen to the prisoners immediately after they leave the cave, according to Plato?

What will happen to the prisoner who leaves the cave, after they come to understand what they see?

How does Plato think our situation is like those of the prisoners in the cave?

What is education, according to Plato?

Who should rule the city, for Plato?

In what two ways can a soul be disturbed and unable to see something?

Why is it okay to compel philosophers to rule?

Why isn't it enough to just be a good reasoner, for Plato?