SWA#7 Paragraph

       The rhetorical devices used by Plato are crucial to the effectiveness of his argument. Through out the piece he uses rhetorical questions, hypothetical situations and of course allegory. Socrates is famous for developing the Socratic Method in which questions were used to spur a conversation between two individuals involving deep thought. The responses we are given for Glaucon are what cause these questions to be classified as rhetorical. When Socrates asks “If he is compelled to look straight at the light, will he not have a pain in his eyes which will make him turn away and take in objects of vision which he can see, and which he will conceive in reality clearer than things which are now being shown to him?” and Glaucon responds simply with, “True” we are then able to see that Socrates wasn’t actually seeking a response from Glaucon but it was intended to make a point. This method is effective because it is forcing the audience to develop his or her own ideas about the allegory, but simultaneously it is almost forcing them to agree with Socrates and take Glaucon’s side. The question itself is a hypothetical situation in which the man from the cave is thrust into the light and is essentially blind. This hypothetical situation corresponds to the allegory that darkness is the dwelling place of the uneducated and light is representative of knowledge. The allegory is used to show how just like one will struggle when attempting to harness the abilities that knowledge brings. At first he is unable to see everything around him, essentially making it hard for him to find his place, but as his eyes adjust he becomes more comfortable with where he is supposed to be. By masterfully weaving together all of these rhetorical devices, Plato is able to persuade his audience to believing in the idea that the transition from the darkness of the uneducated to the light that is intellect is a difficult one. Later on in the piece Plato again uses these rhetorical devices to illustrate that the intelligent also struggle to understand the abilities of the people in the cave. 

SWA #7

Title: The Allegory of the Cave

Thesis: In his piece “The Allegory of the Cave” Plato uses dialog between the teacher Socrates and the student Glaucon. In addition he uses a series of rhetorical devices such as allegory and rhetorical questions to illustrate the difficulties man faces when transitioning from an uneducated state to a place filled with intellect and knowledge. Plato’s argument is effective due to the question and answer format in which it is written, however the kairos of his piece weakens its effectiveness.

I)     Plato uses a dialog format and point of view to address the issues of one’s place in society.

A)   Socrates’ point of view

1)    Socrates takes the stance of a teacher and engages Glaucon, the student, not in an argument, but in an intellectual conversation

2)    He begins by creating the comparison between life and a cave

3)    He asks Glaucon questions so that he, along with whom ever might be reading the text, can develop his own ideas on the comparison given at the beginning of the conversation

B)   Glaucon’s point of view

1)    Glaucon is viewed as the student who is being taught by Socrates

2)    He is asked a multitude of questions which cause him to consider whether he believes Socrates’ comparison is valid

3)    He responds with simple phrases in which he either agrees or disagrees with the points that Socrates is making, most of the time agreeing.

C)   Plato’s point of view

1)    Although he is the author of the piece, he is neither the speaker or the audience

2)    He himself was a student of Socrates, therefor we can infer the Glaucon might actually be a manifestation of his younger self

II)   Plato uses rhetorical devices in order to persuade his audience

A)   Rhetorical Questions  

1)    “And if he is compelled...being shown to him?”

2)    “Imagine once more…eyes full of darkness?”

3)    “And will our pupils…in the heavenly light?”

B)   Allegory

1)    Plato compares the darkness experienced inside of the cave to the darkness in the mind of an uneducated individual

2)    He compares the light from outside the cave as intellect and knowledge

3)    The difficulties experienced when transitioning from darkness to light are a representation of the difficulties adjusting to knowledge or ignorance

C)   Hypothetical situations

1)    If a man who is used to the darkness is introduced to light, he will have difficulty adjusting to the new sights

2)    Similarly, if a man who is used to the light of intellect is thrown into darkness, he will not be able to function as well as those who have lived in darkness for an extended amount of time

III) The establishment of ethos and kairos

A)   Ethos

1)    By the time that the piece “The Allegory of a Cave” was written, Plato had already written a multitude of books.

B)   Kairos

1)    The Kairos of the piece is due to when it was written. Because this piece was constructed and published, sometime between 427BC and 347BC, it may not apply to today’s audiences

2)    Although it was written so long ago, the message may still be true today

ICWA Thesis

In his piece "The Allegory of the Cave" Plato composes an argument comprised of rhetorical questions and hypothetical situations which lead the reader to the assumption that the transition between ignorance and intelligence is a difficult one. By leading the reader to making their own conclusions and then proving the conclusions made, Plato effectively convinces the reader that this transition is no easy no matter in which direction the person is going.

Reading Quiz

1. In order to make a strong thesis, you must find a subject that is arguable. There must be a development in the thesis strong enough to make the reader view it as more then a general statement. It can be anywhere from 1-3 sentences long and is normally at the beginning of the paper (somewhere in the first paragraph) or can be at the end depending on which style of paper you are writing. A strong thesis normally outlines the main argument and the reasons supporting your view.
2. You can organize your paper by making the claim in your thesis, then following it up with body paragraphs which further support your claims. These paragraphs will solidify your reasoning for making the claim and prove the legitimacy of your argument. Another way to organize is by listing events in chronological order. This can be used when examining the outcome of events and their impact. If a certain problem has become evident and you are constructing a paper in which you propose a solution, this method will help in showing not only how the problem came about, but also providing reasons for why your solution is viable.
3. Revising is checking to make sure that you have written all you can in your paper, that there is nothing else you want to add. Editing is making sure that everything flows together well to form a cohesive paper (mostly dealing with structure). Proofreading is mostly about grammatical corrections and making sure the paper is technically sound.

Rhetorical Analysis CR #1

Plato is making the argument that just as those who are accustom to darkness cannot see easily in the bright light and those accustom to light cannot see easily in the dark, the people who are uneducated cannot easily comprehend the thoughts of the intellects and visa versa. To illustrate this point, Plato uses a multitude of rhetorical questions as well as hypothetical situations. He lets his literal audience of Dlaucon and the reader assume facts that he has yet to overtly state. He then follows up by proving the assumptions made by his audience. Plato establishes ethos by stating not only that the uneducated cannot understand the intellectual, but that the intellectual community is unable to comprehend the thoughts and feelings of those deemed uneducated. He established pathos by first painting a picture of the pain suffered by one who begins inside the cave in darkness who then transfers to the light offered through learning and education. Overall his Allegory of the Cave illustrates how easy it is to become trapped in darkness or in light, and the difficulties faced by those who attempt to shift from one to the other.

            Bauer attempts to make the argument that women have the power through self-objectification as well as pure choice over their decisions, to decide their own future. She uses contemporary women such as Lady Gaga as well as century old philosophers such as Simone de Beauvoir to demonstrate the potential that lies within all women. She also uses these two to show how easily women can succumb to the temptations and excuses presented by the world around them. She establishes ethos by showing that she is not out of touch with modern music and culture. She does so by citing current music videos and feminist leaders. The pathos that she develops is derived from examining the lives of college women. She analyzes their actions in an attempt to explain how easy women now a days can justify poor decisions as well as the feelings that are accompanied by frivolous sexual encounters with men. Overall her argument leans toward supporting women and their ability to decide their own future, although it does tend to be slightly back and forth.