The cave analogy, which takes up the majority of book 7 of the Republic, is one of the most famous passages in all of western philosophy.

In this episode, we are joined by Ben Morison, professor of philosophy at Princeton, to dive deep into the allegory and unpack its various levels of meaning. 

Plato is at once the most loved and possibly the most hated philosopher of all time. This episode explores five reasons why he drives some people mad.

Contents of the episode, with timestamps:

Reason 1: Who should rule? [7:30]

Reason 2: What political system is best? [12:20]

The Ship of State [15:10]

Reason 3: What is truth? [20:20]

Reason 4: What is knowledge? [30:35]

The Divided Line [40:25]

Reason 5: What is good?