• In the opening line, it says “let me show you in a figure how far our nature is enlightened or unenlightened.” Which do you think that we fall under today after reading the conversation?—CJM

• Why would the people Plato is talking about on page 1 not be allowed to move their heads to see the more than just shadows? is this a symbolic of something? if so, what?—MT

• On page 1, would the prisoners really be able to come up with names for the objects being carried if they truly had no prior knowledge of what the object was?—DE

• On page 2, what significance does “and he will see the sky and the stars by night better than the sun or the light of the sun by day?” have regarding the time spent in the cave?—RG

• In the very last paragraph of pg. 2, Plato explains what the prisoners of the cave thought was worthy of remark. What do you think Plato was trying to say with the examples he gave?—MO

• Page 3, “‘… and if any one tried to loose another and lead him up to the light, let them only catch the offender, and they would put him to death.’ ‘No question,’ he said.” This quote explains that if someone tried to free another from what we perceive as ignorance, that person would be killed. Has there been a real world time where this was the case?—JS

• Referring page 3 of the reading, do you believe that it is better to remain “in the dark” knowledge-wise but be sure in your beliefs or become more knowledgeable but unsure of what to really believe?—ASC

• P. 3: “I mean that they remain in the upper world: but this must not be allowed; they must be made to descend again among the prisoners in the den...” How similar is this quote to how humans in society “work”?—HW

• In regards to this week’s first reading, I’d like to refer to page 3 and 4 of the text where it is discussed that the Greek government and its populi stood at both ends of a political spectrum. Do you think that people nowadays regard the government as a machine producing people it itself needs that they will benefit from the profit? And what of those who choose not to acknowledge it?—LH

• Do you think that happiness is derived from our “class” in society? 1st paragraph on pg. 4—DS

• In Paragraph three on page four, it says, “Whereas the truth is that the State in which the rulers are most reluctant to govern is always the best and most quietly governed, and the State in which they are most eager, the worst.” Do you think this statement holds true? Which way do you believe our nation works in regard to this statement?—BY

• Throughout the reading Plato compares education to the stages of being in a cave. Do you agree this is a good comparison?—NB

• Do you think we are all the same person, since we came to Wabash and have the desire to succeed?—CB