Need to answer each of the following question with a minimum of 100 words.
Chapter 1: Plato’s Allegory of the Cave
1. What are some things the allegory suggests about the process of enlightenment or education?
2. The allegory presupposes that there is a distinction between appearances and reality. Do you agree? Why or why not?
3. What sometimes happens to people when the illusion is shattered and reality is revealed? Can you give an example from your own or a friend’s experience?
Chapter 6: Thomas Hobbes
6. Do you think that being self-interested is a bad thing? If so, why? If not, why not?
7. Compare Christ’s Golden Rule with Hobbes’ Golden Rule. Which do you think is more effective in getting people to obey the laws, and why?
8. Do you agree with Hobbes that our natural condition is one of lawlessness and violence? How do you think you would behave if you knew you could get away with whatever you wanted to? Do we only obey the laws out of fear of punishment?
Chapter 9: Sartre
5. What does Sartre mean when he says “existence precedes essence”? Do you think this is a correct characterization of the human condition? Why or why not?
6. Do you agree that if “God does not exist, everything is permitted?” Why or why not?
7. In what sense is existentialism empowering, and in what sense is it burdensome, or even terrifying? Do you see yourself as an existentialist? Why or why not?