Plato

I think Plato is trying to tell us that everyone has different experiences. They may be good they my be bad, it all depends how you look at them, and how you face them. Some times you have to be more optimistic about certain things in life. You have to be a strong person for your self and others in your life at times. As you look at life and the experiences that you have you need to better understand why they happened, and take a deeper look. As you do this you may notice that its better than what could of happened or better than where you were in life. It also has impact on your knowledge and your openness to learn.

Plato:The Allegory of the Cave

In Plato's: The Allegory of the Cave he Expreces some ideas i feel that are true but leaves out part of the idea leaving me with question. This may be because of my beliefe or even just because of the way i read and understood the text. To start off he talked about the feeling of the slaves. Yes i do believe if a slave was unleashed and aloud to go and view the world they would at first be suprised and they probubly would not enjoy it at first, but latter adapt because as humans we are known to adapt. Eventually not wanting to return to the cave that once was all they new, and even feeling pitty for the people still stuck as slaves. But i also believe that each slave would feel different about the situation, just like when a high school senior graduates and is alound to finaly leave the house, some are ready and open to the new "real world" others arent yet prepared, and soon return home. Every human has their own opinion that we form from our life experiences, and that makes us who we are. I think that is what Plato was saying, we live life by the knowledge that we hold and how we view it then also how we use it. Some people when they gain new knowledge they go with what they now know and live a better life. But others gain knowledge and persist on living the old way. That said the more knowledge the avrage person gains the better the life to be led. Like in the writing the slaves gained knowldge of the "real world" and had what they thought to be a better life.

Plato

Experience lies in a persons circumstances. As in the story of the people in the cave, they experienced where they were at in that moment in time. We are subjected to our experiences by our position. Say that person in the cave was deeper down or had others blocking their view (as in wealth or location today). Would not his experience be different if not quelched than those who are closer? Now if a person coming out of the light were to realize objects or 'shadows' more quickly than another would that be dependant upon what that person was subjected to? Each person learns differently, yet has the same structures in which to use their learning. Plato suggests that there is a higher intellect once an individual 'sees the light' but how can each person come to the light if not for their experiences and how they were subjected to them. It is how they are presented to the person and that makes all the difference, in my opinion. What Plato presented was stated to be all good but not everyones experiences are good. Also how they interpret that experience isn't the same. Some may have experienced something not good but that goes back to every ones subjectivity and how they were exposed to their learning or lack their of.

Plato: The Allegory of the Cave

I believe that everyone has experiences ,"good and bad" ,it is whether we are "strong" enough to look at it for what it "really" is and learn by them. Some people would rather go through life with their head buried in the sand then to face reality. I believe that is what Plato is trying to put forth in his writings.

Plato's "Allegory of the Cave"

I believe that Plato is saying that when your trapped in one way of life then changing it. It may hurt, but it will be better then the way you were living your life. Once you break free you will pity those in your past. who controls you? A greater power? Everything you do in life is a habit weather it is a good one or a bad one.

Plato appears to break down experience into two main categories- experience that is instinctive or biological and experience that is intellectual. He uses the example of the cave dwellers who are in chains against the cave wall for several years of their lives to demonstrate biological/instinctive experience. Because of not being able to turn their heads to see light, their eyes develop so that their pupils are only used to accepting, most likely, the reflections of the fire and shadows of those passing through the cave. Also, their hearing development would largely be contributed to what echoes they heard, versus clear and accurate sounds. Thus, Plato is identifying experience, in this sense, as being based on environmental conditions. Also, Plato references the topics of reality and truth, in relation to this type of experience. What is seen and heard by the people in the cave- the sights of the shadows and sounds of the echoes, are what are true and real to them.

As far as intellectual experience, Plato first addresses the comparison of what is true to those who would come out of the cave versus those who live outside the cave. This, I suppose, represents how intellectual experience can mesh with biological experience. A person who comes from the cave finds that looking at bright light, after a period of time, is positive. In contrast, a person living outside of the cave may realize that it is not good to look directly at bright light, so thus doesn't think it to be positive.
The second type of intellectual experience that Plato identifies deals with the return of people to the cave. This, to me, represents the clashing of beliefs, largely on an intellectual basis. For example, while a person coming out of the cave may believe, as Plato noted, that the sun is the ruler of all, someone living outside of the cave already may know that this is not true.

Plato's beliefs about experience seem to be quite subjective. He suggests that experiences can be derived from both biological and environmental aspects. He then demonstrates the issues that arise from both.

Introduction

Online persistent worlds: "4" Please have patience with me. This is the first time I have ever blogged. I'm not even really sure if I am typing on the right page so this is going to be kind of short so i can check to make sure it gets posted correctly. As I read other people's posts I am feeling a little better because i also do not have much experience with gaming. My brothers love their game systems and from time to time I have enjoyed trying to pass a football on one of there Madden games. One of my brothers just got an I Touch and I spent about 2hrs playing Line-Up on it while back in Ohio visiting them. I'm not sure if that would be considered gaming. Other than that I am a 22yr old nursing student who enjoys swimming laps at the pool. Perhaps from taking this course I can gain a better understanding of what people find so fascinating about gaming.