The Philosophical Perspectives Of Plato And John Dewey

Over the last few centuries philosophers have wrestled over the concept of what is the greater good in life. In metaphysical discussions over time thinkers have continually questioned what the greater good means in today s world, and how to achieve it. Looking at the philosophical perspectives of Plato and John Dewey, they both discuss the various ways they believe the greater good can be achieved. In this paper I will analyze both Dewey and Plato s perspectives to present key ideas in order to portray how these texts have impacted my understanding on what the greater good is, and how it can be obtained. To begin, Plato establishes that the only way to obtain the greater good in life is from becoming educated. According the Plato, the mind already has all of the knowledge in the world if connections and experiences happen properly. However, he comes to the conclusion that we live in a society today where people have quit questioning the world around them. In a materialistic society we become less educated on what the purpose of life truly is, and that is what Plato sees as humanities downfall. In his tale The Allegory of the Cave Plato uses a symbolic story in order to represent how he feels humanity works. In the beginning he starts with human beings, alone and trapped, in a cave surrounded by only the light of a fire that lays behind them. This image represents the uneducated society we live in today. The prisoners in his cave are only exposed to the shadows on theShow MoreRelated20th Century Philosophy1064 Words   |  5 PagesThis week’s paper we were to research and identify three prevailing philosophical perspectives at work during the 20th Century. To begin I will research the history of a few new tendencies in contemporary philosophy. Then I will discuss the Tom Rockmore interpretation of such tendencies. 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