Biology and Philosophy. VI. Plato’s Cave and Homo sapiens Inequality

Juan S. Gómez-Jeria

Paper Plato’s Cave is presented and discussed considering it as a primary model to place man in the ladder of the degrees of apprehension of reality. A model constituted by a cylinder-ladder with steps is presented and discussed. The lowest level of this cylinder is filled with Homo sapiens having special characteristics. The people living inside Plato’s Cave fill the next segment of the cylinder. These people are well described in Charles de Bovelles’ Liber de Sapiente. An individual placed on a certain step of this ladder is able to perceive the individuals placed on lower steps and may find an appropriate way to communicate with them. But he is not able to recognize individuals placed on steps above him, perceiving them at most as his equals. Also, an individual can ascend this ladder if and only if he has the genetic inheritance that allows him to do so. Also, he must find the appropriate method adapted to his genetics allowing him to climb. The cylinder-ladder model provides an interesting explanation of the results of the activity of preachers. It is necessary that Humanity be free definitively of all the elements that exist within Plato's Cave. This could be done when we have the complete knowledge of how to manipulate our DNA and thus be able to get rid of the trunk of the Primates and create one or more completely new species and not an 'improved' Homo sapiens. The necessity of finding the personal ontological status in the ladder should be an imperative for all.

https://doi.org/10.31871/WJRR.8.6.7