A Philosophical Analysis: Sophists, Plato, and Aquinas' Ideas

This essay explores key philosophical concepts, beginning with a definition of Sophists and their manipulative approach to persuasion, contrasting it with the philosophers' pursuit of truth. It then delves into Plato's "Allegory of the Cave," interpreting its symbolism in the context of the South African political system, where the cave represents ignorance and manipulation. The essay further analyzes the allegory's components, such as the chains, shadows, and freed prisoner, to illustrate how the political system perpetuates a superficial reality and the importance of seeking truth. The essay concludes by examining St. Thomas Aquinas' proof of God's existence, highlighting his argument that all knowledge stems from sensory experience and that the existence of objects necessitates a First Cause. The essay connects these philosophical ideas to critical thinking skills and their application in both academic and personal contexts, emphasizing the importance of philosophical inquiry in understanding complex issues and making informed decisions.

SECTION 1
1.1. The term “Sophist” is defined as “wise person” and so it was concluded that
Sophistry is the ‘art’ of manipulation. Sophists believe that morality is relative.
They believe that there are no moral facts but a set of beliefs that people in a
society will agree with during the course of their lives. Sophists use persuasive
arguments, not as experts, but rather to manipulate other people into believing
that everything they say is true and just.
Philosophy is derived from Greek words, which literally mean “Love of wisdom”. It
refers to those people who want to learn and know the truth rather than to be
manipulated into false belief. Philosophers use science, ethics, theology and
other facts to attain knowledge and debate in a rational way.
1.2. Philosophy is the foundation of critical thinking. Alexander Leivesley in the
Huffington Post stated that Philosophy is not obsolete. Philosophy brings the
important questions the table and works towards an answer. It is the foundation
of all knowledge.
Philosophy has helped me to solve my problems: real and abstract. It has helped
me to make calculated decisions by developing my thinking. It has helped me to
form a crucial thinking skill set that can be applied in both the academic and
personal context. e.g. putting together a convincing argument for or against a
given statement in an assignment or paper, or, decide which problems are crucial
in daily life such as whether or not a certain life is worth leading or not. Without
philosophy, I would fail to think deeper into a lot of things in my life and be unable
to separate facts from opinion.
1.3. Plato’s “Allegory of The Cave” is a concept that was created by the philosopher
Plato to reflect on the nature of belief vs. knowledge. The Allegory tells us that
there are prisoners who have been chained together in a cave since they were
children. There is a fire behind the chained prisoners and between them and the
fire are people who continuously walk back and forth holding different objects
and puppets. These objects and puppets cast shadows on the other side of the
wall, which the prisoners see on a daily basis. The prisoners have watched them
all their lives and believe that they are the only thing that is real. Plato suggests
that should one of the prisoners be freed to go out of the cave, he would be
blinded by the sunlight and realize that the outside world is far more different
than the inside he was confined to all his life when he returns.
Symbolism and relation with the political system in South African politics:

Looking at the South African political system, the cave in the Allegory symbolizes the
superficial physical reality, as well as ignorance: the residents of the country we live in, live
life daily accepting only what they can see in front of them.
.
-The darkness in the cave symbolizes the ignorance of the people because they choose to
see and believe in the shadows, which are lies than the naked truth and have been
manipulated to believe that what they are shown is the truth all their lives.
-The chains that hold the prisoners symbolize the residents being trapped in ignorance of all
the facades, empty promises and corruption that takes place within the political system.
-The shadows in the cave symbolize the superficial truth, the illusion that residents as
prisoners of the country’s political system are shown and made to believe.
-The freed prisoner symbolizes those that are ‘woke’ and have taken off the blindfold of
manipulation and have figured out the truth. They are able to read between the lines and
learn that there is a higher truth. That what we are led to believe is everything short of what
the political system is actually meant to be.
-The light outside of the cave symbolizes freedom of the mind and ultimately the soul. It
symbolizes a deeper revelation: wisdom, enlightenment to the darkness that the people of
South Africa had been accustomed to all their lives.
-The prisoner returning shows that those who were able to wake up from the ‘daze’ and see
through the ongoing lies and became aware of the higher truth must not remain on the
outside but return to share the new knowledge and revelation, enlighten others and help to
free them from mental captivity. These are the people who have broken free and are meant
to spread the word and free the rest of the country from political captivity.
1.4. In St Thomas Aquinas’ proof of God’s existence, he states, “all knowledge must
begin with our experience of sense objects”. He created the foundation of his
ideas from rational understanding of the ordinary objects that we experience
using our senses. The existence of every single sense object requires a cause:
for every single effect, there must be a cause that nothing comes from nothing.
The very existence of objects requires a series of causes and ultimately a First
Cause (God).
He also states that whatever moves is moved by something, whether we can
literally see it or not. In nature, there was a time when certain objects did not
exist, they came into existence then went out of existence and such is the way of
life. Every single thing that exists has come from something else, something
without flaws or mistakes, something that is perfect in every single sense which
we call God.