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> We might also ask where the fabled cave from The Republic is actually located. Certainly. Plato's Allegory of the Cave is clearly a metaphor for enlightenmen

> We might also ask where the fabled cave from The Republic is actually located. Certainly. Plato's Allegory of the Cave is clearly a metaphor for enlightenment, with no pretense of being a literal place. However, his depiction of Atlantis in "Timaeus" and "Critias" is detailed and concrete, lacking the overt symbolism of his allegories. This detail might imply that Plato intended for Atlantis to be considered as more than just a metaphorical construct, perhaps as a tale grounded in some form of historical tradition.

ffgjgf1 3y ago
> grounded in some form of historical tradition. I’m sure that many cultures had some sort of ancient flood myths because of what happened after the last glacial period. But beyond that… > detailed and concrete, Which would be the opposite of one might expect? If we’re talking about thousand year old myths we should assume that anything “ detailed and concrete” must have been invented?
- weatherlight 3y ago
  I'm not arguing that Atlantis was actually a real place, I'm arguing based on how it was written, based on his other works that use allegory, based on other works that are attributed to Plato and his use of allegory; I think Plato thought it was a real place. Plato mentions that the story was heard by Solon in Egypt, and transmitted orally over several generations through the family of Dropides, until it reached Critias( a dialogue speaker in Timaeus and Critias. ) Which is more likely, he completely made up Atlantis and all that detail in a very weird way, or he just reached for something that he thought was historically true that he came across during his life. Oral histories extremely important in the time that lead up to the time of Plato's life (and afterwards as well.) In the absence of widespread literacy and accessible writing materials, these oral narratives served as the primary medium through which historical events, cultural norms, legal statutes, and philosophical ideas were transmitted across generations. Socrates, Plato's teacher, famously never wrote anything down, his philosophy was preserved and passed down primarily through the oral accounts of his students. (Like Plato!) in "Phaedrus," Plato discusses the art of rhetoric and the importance of the spoken word over the written word, which can be seen as a nod to the value of oral tradition. So I don't think it's as binary as, fact or allegory. There are other facets, to how this description of Atlantis came to be.

ffgjgf1 3y ago

> grounded in some form of historical tradition. I’m sure that many cultures had some sort of ancient flood myths because of what happened after the last glacial period. But beyond that… > detailed and concrete, Which would be the opposite of one might expect? If we’re talking about thousand year old myths we should assume that anything “ detailed and concrete” must have been invented?

weatherlight 3y ago
I'm not arguing that Atlantis was actually a real place, I'm arguing based on how it was written, based on his other works that use allegory, based on other works that are attributed to Plato and his use of allegory; I think Plato thought it was a real place. Plato mentions that the story was heard by Solon in Egypt, and transmitted orally over several generations through the family of Dropides, until it reached Critias( a dialogue speaker in Timaeus and Critias. ) Which is more likely, he completely made up Atlantis and all that detail in a very weird way, or he just reached for something that he thought was historically true that he came across during his life. Oral histories extremely important in the time that lead up to the time of Plato's life (and afterwards as well.) In the absence of widespread literacy and accessible writing materials, these oral narratives served as the primary medium through which historical events, cultural norms, legal statutes, and philosophical ideas were transmitted across generations. Socrates, Plato's teacher, famously never wrote anything down, his philosophy was preserved and passed down primarily through the oral accounts of his students. (Like Plato!) in "Phaedrus," Plato discusses the art of rhetoric and the importance of the spoken word over the written word, which can be seen as a nod to the value of oral tradition. So I don't think it's as binary as, fact or allegory. There are other facets, to how this description of Atlantis came to be.