Plato's Republic
In The Republic, Plato uses several analogies, myths, and allegories to illustrate his philosophical and political stances and concepts. These myths serve to clarify, simplify and explain to his readers and students complex ideas. For example, in one of the most famous passages of The Republic, the myth of the cave, Plato demonstrates his otherwise complicated concept of the Forms. The world that our senses encounter creates illusions, like the shadows formed on the walls of the cave. Only the philosopher who is willing to comprehend the truth can leave the cave and witness the origin of these shadows, that which causes them to appear: the Forms. Furthermore, Plato uses the sun as a symbol of the ultimate Form of the Good. Through this myth the student is able to visually conceptualize an otherwise abstract notion of Forms or Archetypes.
Similarly, Plato uses myth to describe his political and social views. In Book Three, Plato uses the myth of the metals to outline various classes in society. The Guardians or ruling class possess a soul made out of gold. The auxiliary classes possess a silver soul, and the craftsmen in society a soul of iron or bronze. Ostensibly only the ruling classes are conscious of the reality of this social structure, and Plato tells the story to inspire civil obedience. The myth of the metals, therefore, reinforces Plato's beliefs that a society is best off when it is ordered and structured along class lines, and that although all people derive from the same source, their roles in society differ according to their abilities and professions.
Finally, toward the end of the Republic, in Book Ten, Plato uses the Myth of Er to speak of the journey of the soul after death. Plato's myth corresponds with the notion of karma or cause and effect, in which a person's afterlife will be determined by his or her deeds in this lifetime. This myth therefore teaches a moral lesson for Plato, as he outlines the nature of just and unjust acts. Those who act with justice will be rewarded for thousands of lifetimes to come, and conversely, those who act unjustly will be punished. As with many religious and philosophical texts, The Republic contains myths, allegories, and symbols to illustrate key concepts and make otherwise abstract material more palatable for the reader.
