PLATO'S ALLEGORICAL CAVE RECKONING

First, there was Socrates! Old Socs in the middle probably giving his mates his reckonings, Plato by his side getting excited Athenian style SOURCE: http://brewminate.com/from-presocratic-to-classical-greek-philosophy-a-shift-in-focus-and-methodology/

Then, an old and wise Plato with his gossip mags in hand talking with a young Aristotle, to view my reckonings of Aristot's check this previous post of mine out. SOURCE: http://hipporeads.com/plato-and-aristotle-on-the-american-state/

A coloured illustration of the allegory. SOURCE: http://brewminate.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/TheCave02.jpg

I really enjoy reading Plato’s BookVII of The Allegory of the Cave, applying it to any form of modern day social norms of social media and the internet is quite fascinating as it stands symbolically with my views on what the internet is doing to us by acting as our chains to willingly but forcefully view unrealities by displaying false images and content when all one needs to do to experience real life and all that represents good is to break free from the comfortable ignorance we live in but can liberate ourselves from.

I think that can be applied perfectly to that of a video gamer too! Below I’ve created the likeness of Plato's Allegory of the Cave to the mindless consent of the video gamers.

(You can probably tell also my distaste for video gamers here, all most as much as my own chains to internet addiction)

Plato's Cave. SOURCE: https://lightnightgreekfire.wordpress.com/platos-cave/
Video Gamer. SOURCE: http://www.altmuslimah.com/2015/03/dear-salma-my-husband-is-addicted-to-video-games/ 

edited photo linking the two concepts together by yours truly.

TO READ: "THE SYSTEM OF OBJECTS" BY JEAN BAUDRILLARD

Since class last Tuesday, I have been frantically googling and oogling over the works and words of the Frenchman Jean Baudrillard. A cultural theorist, sociologist, philosopher, political commentator and photographer he is best known for his analyses of contemporary culture and media, technological communication and concepts of hyperreality. But what I’m most excited to get into are his diverse subjects on gender relations, social history, art and popular culture.

In touching on the topic of bygone objects and the romanticisation of antique technologies that leave us feeling nostalgic or moved by the presence of the past, Baudrillard’s name came into conversation and with a little bit of research a very interesting book of his called “The Consumer:Society Myths and Structures” came up.

AND IT LOOKS FANTASTIC! Especially that he wrote it in the 70’s (My favourite era to romanticize and dream (ironically) of what it was to live in a time of the glitterati, opulent establishment, the disco, the punk, to be inundated with consumerist feeding frenzies and the way media was revolutionised.

The book includes Baudrillard's most organized discussion of mass media culture, the meaning of leisure and anomie in affluent society. But alas, the book was $65(AU). And a cool sixty on a book is not something a poor student can afford as yet, so I opted for the next cheapest, ever interesting and post-modern. “The System of Objects” A cultural critique of the commodity in consumer society, which brilliantly communicates to us all the live ideas of the day.

I'll let you know what I think when it arrives! I purchased my copy on Booktopia.