Allegory of the Cave – Hossein Jorjani

Excursus 106 – Platonic and Aristotelian Essentialism in the Light of Continuous Variation

Hossein Jorjani First publication: 2026 – 07 – 20 Modern discussions of essentialism often blur an important distinction between Plato and Aristotle. Although both philosophers are commonly described as essentialists, they understood the location and nature of essences in fundamentally different ways. For Plato, the essence of a thing does not belong to the individualContinue reading “Excursus 106 – Platonic and Aristotelian Essentialism in the Light of Continuous Variation”

Excursus 102 – The Afterlife of the Allegory of the Cave

Hossein Jorjani First publication: 2026 – 07 – 20 Few philosophical images have exercised a greater influence on Western thought than Plato’s Allegory of the Cave. Yet its historical significance lies not only in Plato’s original doctrine, but also in the successive reinterpretations it has inspired. The history of the Cave illustrates how powerful philosophicalContinue reading “Excursus 102 – The Afterlife of the Allegory of the Cave”

Excursus 040 – On the Allegory of the Cave and Induction

Hossein Jorjani First publication: 2026 – 06 – 30 The orthodox interpretation holds that Plato’s Allegory of the Cave is not an account of empirical inquiry but a metaphysical drama of intellectual ascent: the shadows signify ignorance, the cave represents the sensible world, and liberation symbolizes the soul’s turn toward noēsis and knowledge of theContinue reading “Excursus 040 – On the Allegory of the Cave and Induction”