Ancient Philosophical Influences

Plato

Believed in a priori reasoning only. There is a greater reality beyond our world experience so we cannot rely on our senses for truth
the analogy of the cave: a group of prisoners chained looking at the wall of a cave. shadows are projected on to the wall. to them, this is reality - all they've ever known, yet there is a whole world outside of the cave that they are unaware of. one of the prisoners escapes and makes the difficult journey to the outside world. when he sees it, he returns to tell the other prisoners of the outside world, yet they don't believe him, and even threaten to kill him. 
Plato's analogy suggests that there is a whole world that we are unaware of, outside of the relam of our experience. the escaped prisoner represents philosophers who are able to access true knowledge. the outside world is the World of the Forms. The sun represents the highest form - the form of the good.
metphysical interpretation - what is real? Our world is not the real world, the world of the forms is the true, unchanging world
epistemological interpretation - how do we gain knowledge? Plato says true knowledge cannot be gained through the senses, as they can be deceived and corrputed 
political interpretation - who should rule? only the philosopher was able to gain true knowledge, so should rule. 

Assessing the Anaogy of the Cave:

• our senses may not be reliable but they are necessary for us to gain any sort of information 
• lack of proof of another world outside of our experience 
• elitist 

The World of the Particulars:

• many particulars
• known through empirical senses
• pass in and out of existence 
• constantly changing 
• physical
• imperfect 

The Wolrd of the Forms:

• each form is a single thing (only one form of beauty)
• known through reason 
• eternal 
• immutable 
• non-physical 
• …