Kaden Aldous

Phil 1000
4/17/2018

The Imaginary Cave

I imagine myself if I were born into riches. How different I would be, how different my

friends would be, and how different my life would be. I’d like to think that I would be the same

person, but I most likely wouldn’t be. My grandma and grandpa on my dad’s side of the family

were wealthy. Due to them dying when I was very young, I never got to be a part of their

lifestyle. However, they left behind a vacation home for us in Montana which is where I used to

visit every summer. Whenever I went up there it was the happiest days of my life. Unfortunately,

our family just sold the ranch because we couldn’t afford it and it broke my Dad’s heart. For

years I thought if I lived there or was a part of their wealth I would be a lot happier. I now realize

that my former mindset was phony. If I lived up there and I was born into all this money I would

ultimately, have blind happiness. I wouldn’t know what the real world was like. All I would

know was “happiness” but judging from my current perspective, “happiness” wouldn’t be real

because I couldn’t compare it to suffering. I wouldn’t know suffering therefore I couldn’t

experience true happiness.

I’m sure that I couldn’t adjust to the cruel reality that is society, I would be lost and I

would most likely rely on my family to get me through it. Now, I realize that the only thing that

makes me happy is overcoming pain. Getting through hardship and adversity is what makes me

who I am and I wouldn’t sell my character for anything. Resilient is who I am and it is with my

current perspective that has opened my mind to examine myself. Examining myself has helped

me to know myself, thus making me stay loyal to my values no matter the situation. The great

Greek philosopher Socrates said “A life unexamined is not worth living.” If I lived in my

vacation home in Montana, I wouldn’t know what that meant.

Kaden Aldous
Phil 1000
4/17/2018

I feel like my story relates to Plato’s allegory of the cave, in both situations me and the

prisoners were being raised in ignorance. In Plato’s allegory of the cave, men were brought to a

cave and were shackled to the cave to face the caves wall.1 They were left there for quite some

time to the point to where they adapted to it and came to a reality that the cave is all they know.

They saw shadows of the outside world on the caves wall so their perception of reality outside of

the cave was fearful.2 Finally one of the men was freed and went outside to realize there was

more to life than just the cave.

The people who came back in the cave to free the rest are called "philosopher kings."

Their experience and gained wisdom needed to be spread to the other prisoners. Philosopher

kings were the keys to the other prisoner’s freedom. Some who were freed were so blinded by

the suns light that they wanted to go back in.3 The cave represents what we currently know, and

the outside represents the amount of knowledge or wisdom that we don't know. And should

potentially be known. However I don’t think I would have ever been freed. Learning about

Socrates and Plato’s teachings of examining and knowing thyself has made me a better person.

In the following paper, I’m going to tie Socrates famous quotes “knowing thyself” and “a life

unexamined is not worth living” into his concepts of psyche, techne, virtue as excellence of

function and his view of intellectualism.

According to Socrates, the human psych is the essence of being a human. The psych is

the combination of the mind and soul.4 To put it in modern terms, one would call it

“consciousness.” Socrates believed that if you didn’t utilize your consciousness by thinking

1
The cave being my life in ignorance and in riches.
2
Outside of the cave being society
3
The Sunlight represents truth
4
Archetypes’ of Wisdom Chapter 4: pg. 102
Kaden Aldous
Phil 1000
4/17/2018

reflectively. Then you were taking life for granting. He thought Life was about learning from

your mistakes and if you didn’t philosophize and attempt to think about what you could of done

better, then you will never know what you can do better. For me, I ponder how little psych I

would have if I lived in that vacation home in Montana. I would never think to reflect or think

philosophical about my life because I wouldn’t know anything else or have anything else to

compare it to. I wouldn’t be given a difficult situation that would make me learn. It would just be

a linear and consistent phase of having no problems, thus not needing to examine my life. And if

I wasn’t able to examine my life and think consciously, then that life would not be worth living.

To Socrates, techne is ultimately a skill.5 However, his version of techne (skill) is

different than our modern use of the word. For example, contemporarily, we think having a

college degree in some sort of field merely makes you an expert in that field. But to Socrates that

is not true. Socrates believes that not only do you have to be knowledgeable but you also have to

be able to apply that knowledge.6 In other words, skill is when you’re able to apply that

knowledge in being successful. For example, some people are very knowledgeable in basketball

strategy but they can’t shoot a basketball to save their life. To achieve success in a school, one

must be aware that they need to practice. One must examine and stray from self bias to

ultimately judge your own talent from an objective point of view. To Socrates, doing this will

give you a better chance of improving your skill.

You must open your mind and reflect on your performance to judge whether or not you

can apply your skills differently or use what your reflected to apply those skills currently.

Socrates believed that you should depend on the psych to improving your techne. In my alternate

5
Archetypes’ of Wisdom Chapter 4: Pg. 108
6
Archetypes’ of Wisdom Chapter 4: pg. 109
Kaden Aldous
Phil 1000
4/17/2018

reality regarding my wealthy lifestyle in Montana, I would lack techne. There would be no skill I

could learn on that ranch because I wouldn’t be dealt with a predicament. I would have nothing

to learn from. The only techne I could develop would probably have to do with an eating contest.

Socrates believed the best skills were derived from adversity. How you deal with failure and how

you learn from your mistakes is what helps you achieve your techne. Nothing enhances your

techne more than applying your techne.

In regards to human virtue, the great Socrates looked within at human character as

opposed to the sophist who looked outward for their well being.7 To Socrates, the virtue of

excellence was having the character to apply knowledge and be successful. It is the result of

techne. However, Socrates believed that the sophist would get too much of their ego involved.

To Socrates character is everything, and being to prideful would interfere with your success. 8If

one doesn’t examine themselves when applying knowledge then that person cannot be virtuous.

If they aren’t able to look at themselves and sense that their pride is conflicting with their

performance then, they will lose success. It is important to look at your character in order to be

virtuous. If I lived on my ranch, and I developed a techne, I probably would be very boastful

about it. I wouldn’t be able to notice that I the only reason I thought I was good was because I

had no one to compete or compare my techne with. If I did compete with someone my ignorance

would make me arrogant, thus making me non virtuous. Overall, I would most likely lose.

To Socrates, intellectualism meant that behavior is always controlled by beliefs.

Intellectualism is the opposite of egoism. Intellectualism examines beliefs where as egoism

7
Archetypes of Wisdom Chapter 4: Pg 108
8
Archetypes’ of Wisdom Chapter 4: Pg 109
Kaden Aldous
Phil 1000
4/17/2018

examines desires. Intellectualism is more rational and objective.9 For example, if there were a

drink that was poisoned, an intellect wouldn’t drink it because they believed that it was poisoned.

However, someone with an ego might drink it because their desires for quenching their thirst

over power their beliefs, thus not making them an intellectual. To Socrates, ignorance is true

evil. No one can do any wrong unless they don’t examine themselves and understand that what

they’re doing could possibly be wrong. But to Socrates, what you’re doing is only wrong if you

don’t actually believe in what you’re practicing. If you follow something for other reasons like

building a reputation and a persona then you are not an intellect. A true intellect subjectively

believes what they are doing is right, thus making them morally correct. If I lived on my ranch in

Montana I wouldn’t know what to believe in. I would just believe what my parents told me. I

wouldn’t be able to think for myself because I wouldn’t be in a situation created by myself, to

learn from. I also wouldn’t learn free agency, meaning I would follow something not because I

believed in it, but because my parents told me too. I would possibly follow everything my

wealthy parents would say just so they can lend me more money.

I agree with Socrates that a life unexamined is not worth living! Life is meant to be

unearthed and explored. We should examine not only our surroundings but ourselves.

Experience, self growth, and wisdom cannot be gained if you don't examine yourself. Having

psych for making decisions, a techne for applying wisdom, virtue for character, and

intellectualism for believing, will lead you to an examined life. Ultimately, reflecting our own

experience from retrospect and determining whether or not we are going to change gives us a

glimpse of who we are, but depending on how we actually change is what defines who we are.

And if we want to change who we are, we must examine ourselves and base our current
9
Archetypes’ of Wisdom Chapter 4: Pg. 109
Kaden Aldous
Phil 1000
4/17/2018

decisions off that. Making new decisions and changing is the path of life and the path of life

leads to happiness. Therefore you can’t make change without examining, thus "an examined life

is not worth living!" I encourage anyone who is reading this to know yourself. Examine yourself

to see what you can do better. Life is about improving. If you know who you are and accept it,

then you will be able to back at your life with satisfaction opposed to regret.