The Cave

I wrote my senior thesis demonstrating, in part, some major differences between the first principles accepted by Plato and those accepted by St. Thomas. A self-professed Thomist, it must then, of necessity, be concluded that the first principles, and thereby large chunks, of Platonist philosophy are not my cup 'o tea.

However, in Book VII of the Republic, Plato introduces the well-known analogy of "the cave". Now, he's using this to illustrate certain philosophical ideas regarding universals and forms which I in no way adhere to, but there is something to be said about the idea of a place where people are so much in the dark they don't know which way is up.

Now, my Aristotelian Thomism also asserts that anyone who sees those items we all call "things" has enough to work with, philosophically, and as a sensate rational being he must be hitting the wide door of truth somehow, somewhere. After all, he is a man, who "desire[s], by nature, to know".

Buuuuuut, I have to admit, there is at least an intellectual state that resembles Plato's cave. I encounter it all the time. Now, accuse me not of philosophical snobbery, but over and over again I've encountered people in the day-to-day who, by no fault of their own, don't have a clue but GOL-DERN, they sure think they do. Moreover, invariably they try to "help me" by showing me that this philosophy stuff I find soooo important is really 'very minor'. Now, of course my soul responds by screaming: 'Minor?? MINOR??!?! Sure, the science of all truth knowable by human reason is a minor detail in our lives, after all. Are you stupid?! Why are you talking??? GO AWAY.' My social interface, however, is counting down from ten, resisting the urge to either a) rip them to intellectual shreds in a fury of rightous indignance or b) ridicule them. I find myself internally saying, "Be charitable - they don't know. They have no way of knowing - all they get to see are shadows on a wall."

I'm not sure if it's quite kosher for a Thomistic person to use the cave illustration with such shameless liberty, though. The intention of it's author was to illustrate a concept of truth and knowledge which I don't ascribe to. Hmmmm . . . I think that I'm going to have to ponder it a while longer.