Question

Plato believed pretty firmly that books and poetry should be strictly censored and was

worried about the effect that fiction might have on people. Use what you learned from
"The Allegory of the Cave" to explain why he would have felt this way.

Answer 1

Plato believed that books and poetry should be strictly censored because he saw them as similar to the shadows in the allegory of the cave. He worried about the effect of fiction on people, leading them to believe in false illusions. Just as the prisoners in the cave were trapped by false ideas, Plato believed that people could be trapped by fiction.

Step-by-step explanation:

In Plato's allegory of the cave, the prisoners have been imprisoned in a cave their entire lives, only able to see shadows cast on the wall in front of them. They mistake these shadows for reality, not realizing that they are just illusions. When one prisoner escapes and sees the sunlight for the first time, he realizes the truth and the true nature of reality.

Plato may have believed in strict censorship of books and poetry because he saw them as similar to the shadows in the cave. He may have worried about the effect that fiction could have on people, leading them to believe in false illusions instead of seeking the truth. Just as the prisoners in the cave were chained and could only see the shadows, Plato might have believed that people could be trapped by false ideas and perceptions if they were exposed to too much fiction.