Saturday, December 28, 2019

The Phenomenology Of Perception By Maurice Merleau Ponty...

Maurice Merleau-Ponty in the Phenomenology of Perception takes up the issues of both empiricism and intellectualism to explain his existential analysis of Being. Merleau-Ponty establishes against empiricism and intellectualism, the primary and complex ambiguity of our lived and embodied experience, and our inexhaustibility of being-in-the-world. In his critiques of these classical forms of intellectualism and empiricism, he identifies both what works for his phenomenological account and what doesn’t work. This essay will explain these critiques of empiricism and intellectualism by approaching both and showing how intellectualism is superior to empiricism, by illustrating a phenomenological account of existence. To show how empiricism and intellectualism fall short and need a phenomenological account of existence one will need to parse through the accounts of sensation, perception, the body, habit, and language. First, in order to deconstruct each of these accounts of existence , one must explain, empiricism, intellectualism. In Merleau-Ponty’s preface he explains that intellectualism seeks beyond, empirical history, for it seeks a universal history that is already known, and empiricism is just moments in time, and a history of all those moments. Merleau-Ponty explains that he seeks a third way not just a universal history, or a sum of events but an expression of one’s history. Empiricism is known for being an assemblage of things, or part extra part. Empiricism is based onShow MoreRelatedEssay Understanding Phenomenology2177 Words   |  9 PagesThis essay will refer only to the three texts given here: M.M.P - Maurice Merleau-Ponty, The Primacy of Perception and Its Philosophical Consequences E.H - Edmund Husserl, Pure Phenomenology, Its Method, and Its Field of Investigation M.H - Martin Heidegger, The Fundamental Discoveries of Phenomenology, Its Principle, and the Clarification of Its Name Pure phenomenology takes as given the existence of an intersubjective world(1), (the totality of perceptible things and the thing of allRead More`` Architecture And The Crisis Of Modern Science ``1637 Words   |  7 PagesGomez, Peter Zumthor, and Steven Holl emphasize on the phenomenology in their design processes. Their compositions and beliefs are evidences of the power of phenomenon. In addition, they argue that the sensory experience between the architectural object and the audience of it should be complimentary. These designers are famous for reviving the emotion evoking spaces through expression of light and shadow, material, and intimate human perception. The manifestation of this theory will be discussed furtherRead MoreDescribe The Concept Of The Body Image1183 Words   |  5 Pagestheir body image. An individual’s perception of their own appearance and how others see them, can be completely different. Many generations of European philosophers have investigated the mind / body dichotomy. In the 17th century, Rene Descartes offered his solution to the problem through his idea of Cartesian Duality. However, modern philosophers generally reject this notion and see the mind and body in a more holistic fashion. For example, Maurice Merleau-Ponty introduced the concept of body imageRead MoreA Study On Phenomenology Of Perception1479 Words   |  6 Pagesjustify this unorthodox design, it should be noted that phenomenology is used to investigate not only experiences, but also the essence of such through one s perception of a phenomenon. This philosophical branch of phenomenology is founded on Maurice Merleau-Ponty s phenomenology of perception (Merleau-Ponty Thomas, 2004). Merleau-Ponty s philosophical stance poses that understanding the lived experience is achieved by exploring one s perception of a phenomenon (Thomas, 2005). The focus group interviewRead MorePhenomenology, By Dermot Moran2213 Words   |  9 Pagesreading â€Å"Phenomenological Research Methods† (1994:13) says that â€Å"phenomenology is a qualitative method of research – refrains from importing external frameworks and sets aside judgements about the realness of the phenomenon.† In his book â€Å"Introduction to Phenomenology†, Dermot Moran (2000: pg4) defines phenomenology as: â€Å"It claims, first and foremost, to be a radical way of doing philosophy, a practice rather than a system. Phenomenology is best understood as a radical, anti-traditional style of philosophisingRead MoreInvisible Man11097 Words   |  45 Pagesto note that Jung believes: Rebirth is not a process that we can in any way observe. We can neither measure nor weigh nor photograph it. It is entirely beyond sense perception.(29) This statement is important because it indicates that rebirth cannot be identified by an external source. Jung places rebirth beyond sense perception, and, in doing so, leaves it solely for the individual to self-realize. After notifying his audience that his hibernation is over, the invisible man has the revelationRead MoreUsing Psychoanalysis to Understand Human Behavior Essay4081 Words   |  17 Pagesto note that Jung believes: Rebirth is not a process that we can in any way observe. We can neither measure nor weigh nor photograph it. It is entirely beyond sense perception.(29) This statement is important because it indicates that rebirth cannot be identified by an external source. Jung places rebirth beyond sense perception, and, in doing so, leaves it solely for the individual to self-realize. After notifying his audience that his hibernation is over, the invisible man has the revelationRead More`` The Day They Tied Me Up ``3896 Words   |  16 Pagestrue events and the feelings and emotions felt by the poet during a memorable aspect of her childhood. When Olds was eight years old, she emptied a bottle of ink onto her parents’ bedspread and was tied to a chair as punishment. In perception by Maurice Merleau-Ponty, a French philosopher commonly associated with the philosophical movement of existentialism, he demonstrates â€Å"‘Olds’s serial return to the moment of this punishment within the space of the lyric poem is a formal method for investigatingRead MoreEssay on Installation Art: beyond the Museum, beyond the Boundaries2428 Words   |  10 Pagesunfolding into the gallery like a pop-up book, making gallery[-]goers part of the `action along with the artist. (Storr 2) The role of the artist begins to change in this context of theatricality as well. In the essay entitled Merleau-Pontys Phenomenology and Installation Art by Robert Hobbs, the audience begins to see that the art was created-- not to bridge the thoughts between the artist and the viewer (Hobbs 23)-- but to allow the viewers own personal experience decide the relevanceRead MoreReligion as a Major Organizing Ideology to the Social and Political Reality of the Nineteenth-Century3824 Words   |  16 Pagesthe two, rather than the performance of contrasting body/mind belief systems. For Maurice Merleau-Ponty, the body is not an object void of discourse; it is a sign with meaning(s) attached to it, that is â€Å"a grouping of lived-through meanings which moves towards its equilibrium† (177). Indeed, the body’s kinship with the mind is not one of competition and struggle, but of coexistence. Moreover, for Merleau-Ponty â€Å"bodily existence is never self-sufficient†(191) but exists in symbolic partnership

Thursday, December 19, 2019

Stand By Me (movie Review For Small Group Com) Essay

A Summer To Remember nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The movie Stand By Me is based upon a novel by Steven King. It doesn’t have the same eerie feel as some of his other books and is generally a more serious movie. It takes place in the small town of Castle Rock, Oregon. It is the middle of the summer in approximately the early 1960’s. The kids are bored and that is the setup for their adventure to go find a dead body in the woods. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The main role of Gordie LaChance is played by Wil Wheaton. He is having trouble in his life at this time because he just lost his brother and his parents are having a very difficult time dealing with it. Chris Chambers was played by River Phoenix. Chris is considered a loser†¦show more content†¦Vern whines that it means they are all doomed and should go back. Vern also slows the group when he refuses to go into the woods away from the tracks towards the trail. He then plays the role of backseat driver (class notes) when they reach the swamp saying, â€Å"I told you we should have kept following the train tracks†. Vern hindered the development of the group. While they could have been devoting time to the task at hand, they had to spend time helping him with trivial things like dealing with him being scared when they are in the woods. While Vern slowed the group by challenging many of the group’s ideas, Teddy presented a much different c hallenge to the group. Teddy is described in the beginning as being reckless and wild. He holds to that description right in the beginning with two crazy incidents. When they leave in the beginning and are walking on the train tracks, Teddy goes a little bit nuts and says he is going to dodge the train. It takes the entire group to pull him away from the train tracks before the train comes. Teddy also becomes difficult when the run away from the old man in the junkyard. When the old man calls his father â€Å"looney† Teddy flips out. He starts kicking and punching even though he’s on the other side of the fence. This remains a problem with the group because they have to spend time comforting him before they get back on the road again. On more then one occasion Teddy got in small fights with almostShow MoreRelatedEssay11356 Words   |  46 Pagesyears hit TJ like a hammer. TJ was coming down from the high she felt when the CEO called last week to promote her to a new position within Time Warn er—effective today, September 1, 2004. TJ set aside her morning coffee and The Wall Street Journal to review the company’s operations before replying to the first memo in her inbox. 546 1I prepared this case with Kyle Anderson and Dong Chen for use as a teaching tool rather than to illustrate Time Warner Inc.’s effective or ineffective handling ofRead MoreRenting and Netflix8217 Words   |  33 Pagesresolve, Hastings returned to his desk to review his forthcoming announcement one more time. Company Background Netflix, an online subscription-based DVD rental service, was first conceived by Hastings after he discovered an overdue rental copy of Apollo 13in his closet. After paying the $40 late fee, Hastings, a successful entrepreneur who had already founded and sold a software business, began to consider alternative ways to provide a home movie service that would better satisfy customersRead MoreWedding Rings5868 Words   |  24 Pagesrefers to the expressive side of human life. It can be an object, a behavior, a symbol, interpretation or belief. Culture is that invisible bond that ties people of certain community together. It is a system of knowledge shared by a relatively large group of people. It is an accumulated experience which is socially transmitted. Culture consists of patterns and is passed from generation to generation. Culture is important because it gives an individual a unique identity. It shapes the personality ofRead MoreCase Studies13817 Words   |  56 Pagesin Sourcing By Meghan Skarzynski Fashionforward! is an online auction site where those who have more style than money can bid on designer apparel. The site registers members for $30, who are then allowed to bid on exceptional deals. In an effort to stand out from the crowded field of online bargain sites, Fashionforward! reached out to the local community in search of help marketing their company to college students. Part of this effort included hiring a student intern, Carly LeBlanc. At that pointRead MoreTomb of the Unknown Soldier4192 Words   |  17 Pageshave been buried, in this ground, from the hospital and bettering-house, during the course of last summer, fall and winter, dead of the small pox and camp diseases, are enough to make the heart of stone to melt away! The sexton told me that upwards of two thousand soldiers had been buried there, and by the appearance of the grave and trenches, it is most probable to me that he speaks within bounds. To what causes this plague is to be attributed, I dont know--disease had destroyed ten men for us whereRead MoreSocial Legal and Economic Impact of Ebusiness in Ireland13799 Words   |  56 PagesAssignment 1 Evolution of Internet eBusiness Development amp; Social, Legal and Economic Impact of eBusiness Produced by Brendan Treacy July – November 2012 Contents General Introduction 4 Research Methods 4 Evolution of the Internet 6 Dot-Com Boom 7 eBusiness Development 8 Introduction – Social Impact 10 Social Impact of eBusiness – Positives 10 Improve Life of Disabled 10 Provide Information to those with Illness 11 Online Counselling 11 Personal Development 12 Enhanced LeisureRead MorePersonal Development Plan5227 Words   |  21 Pagesorganization together in a way which satisfies everyone s need. However, negotiation is something that we do all the time and is not only used for business purposes. 6. Leadership Leadership, a critical management skill, is the ability to motivate a group of people toward a common goal. These items will help us develop skills as a leader. The business manager is often a figurehead and must share the organization’s vision in order to communicate it effectively to others.Managers are in the business ofRead MoreVerbs Tenses - Gap Filling Exercises11244 Words   |  45 Pages It ________________ (look) fantastic in you. 7. What happened to Julie? I _______________________ (not see) her recently. 8. We _______________________ (wait) for the train for half an hour now. We ________________ (get) fed up! 9. Can you help me with the homework? I _____________________ (not know) how to do this Maths exercise. 10. When my friends __________________ (come) to my house, I __________________ (help) my mother with the housework. 11. Where __________________ (Angela / go) atRead More65 Successful Harvard Business School Application Essays 2nd Edition 147256 Words   |  190 Pagesadvancement via an MBA that will prepare you for leadership challenges in any business field. You are aware, however, that Harvard Business School receives about ten thousand applications annually, and you are uncertain how to make your ap.... plication stand out. We understand. We have been in your shoes. This book seeks to demystifythe admissions process for applicants by providing a selective but robust sample of HBS essaysthat have sue, cessfullysurvived the admissions committee in the past. We aspireRead MoreHbs Case Study Guid30915 Words   |  124 PagesMARKETING/STRATEGY CONCEPTS REVIEW – OVERVIEW................................................................................................. 6 MARKETING/STRATEGY CONCEPTS REVIEW – THE 4 CS........................................................................ .............................. 7 MARKETING/STRATEGY CONCEPTS REVIEW – THE 4 PS .................................................................................................... 24 MARKETING/STRATEGY CONCEPTS REVIEW – CONTRIBUTION ANALYSIS

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Marketing Dynamism and Sustainability System †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Marketing Dynamism and Sustainability System. Answer: Introduction Zara was founded in the year 1975 by Amancio Ortega to establish a niche market for the fashion merchandise he produces. It spread to nearly 86 countries from the first store in Spain and now operates around 1770 stores. In the year 2012 Ortegas parent company Inditex Made up by Zara fashion and some other retail concepts and suppliers of the industry accounted for a total sales of US $20.7 billion amongst which Zaras share stood at a staggering amount of $13.6 billion. Evaluate Zaras ability to implement the four activities of planning and control that is scheduling, loading, sequencing and monitoring their full supply chain. How does this contribute to the success of the Zara group? It is believed that the secret to the mentioned companys competitive advantage is the efficient supply chain of the mentioned fashion apparels company. The outstretching capability of the mentioned fashion apparels company has been able to attain a positive growth by diversifying with a proper vertical integration. The company also has specifications to adapt to different cultural designs, manufacturers, distributors and retail clothes within a span of just two weeks after the original showpiece is displayed in any fashion walk (Fernie and Sparks 2014). The mentioned organization is successful in the market just because of its efficient supply chain and its ability to speed up the market by virtue of its wide range of collections and speedy delivery process. The organization has the unique ability to usher in new designs, trendy and modern outfits that are liked by the generation (Childs and Jin, 2015). The fashion company makes sure that it keeps a proper amount of its production in house and also makes sure that its own companies receives 85% of the capacity for in season adjustments. The in house production helps the management to bring a proper flexibility in the amount, variety and frequency of the new products to be launched (de Jorge Moreno and Carrasco 2016). Zara always depends heavily on the sophisticated fabric sourcing and sewing facilities that are located in close proximity to its headquarters of design in Spain, its main hub of manufacturing (Gallien et al. 2015). The salaries and benefits of the international labors are much higher compared to the salaries of the workers who are engaged in working in the developing world. The company also enjoys a large competitive advantage over the other competitors of the market just because of its special strategy to manufacture 50 to 60 percent of its goods by the middle of the year. A new trend of clothes or any new design doing the rounds is spotted by the experts of Zara and after the initial nod from the management of the company, the operations team ggets down to business. The designers produce these clothes as early as possible and the efficient supply chain of the company makes sure that the production of the company reaches out to the different stores in time. The idea of the latest trend or the feedback of the customers to Zaras products is received through the managers of the store who communicate the vital information to the management of Zara. The management in turn provides the message to the designers of the company (Gomes et al. 2017). Zara has an extra capacity on hand for development and the changes. It has a 4.5 day work schedule with the other 3.5 days goes to compulsory holiday, extra leave and many other breaks and shift changes (Caro and Martnez 2015). The following operations then transform to frequent shipments which results in a high footfall of customers in Zara stores. The following strategy helps the marketing and sales department of Zara to sell a large number of items at full price because of the sudden sense of insecurity and exclusiveness the company displays. The efficient merchandising of the company helps to reduce the total price of the items and help them to gain a better competitive advantage (Hansen 2014). The fashion company receives back 85% of price on the clothes manufactured by them while on contrary 60 to 70% is the industry average. Whereas the unsold items of the inventory accounts for just 10% of the stock which is much lower than the 17 to 20% of the industry. This shows the huge competitive advantage of Zara and prove s that the company is one of the best in the fashion industry. Analyze Zaras effectiveness in managing their capacity constraints and levels of demand throughout the supply chain. Is their evidence of bottlenecks, with the use of drum-buffer-rope of constraints management to overcome bottlenecks? Zara has its operations spread over a large number of regional and international centers and thus they face a large number of difficulties which acts as a constraint to their organizational growth. Some of the common issues are; Zara has a well connected and well maintained marketing chain that makes it the best fashion apparels company of the globe. The management of the company has followed a strict policy of not advertising the products in traditional ways like billboard advertisements and journal advertisements. The company in turn has turned to digital marketing which is the latest trend of the industry. The businesses in the modern world are adopting new strategies to meet the demands of the people. Nowadays Zara has focused on the online marketing like marketing in social media to attract the attention of the people (Kim Lee and Lee 2016). Political issues: The political system of a country always plays a key factor to the success of a business. The success of the business is determined by means of the positive or negative impacts on the economy on a daily basis. Major political powers as well as some of the local political influences are a key factor in the economic development of a particular city or a country. Zara invests internationally and has its business spread in around 86 countries of the world. The Spanish origin of the company makes it possess some liberal policies of the government in the labor laws. Media also termed as the fourth element that constitutes the political system has a decent influence on the economic system as they flare up different political issues in front of the company. This particular feature Zara has been forced to keep a tight measurement on its amount of investment (Macchion et al. 2015). As because Zara is based in Europe it has the capability to adopt to 3 to 4 different colors (Kim Lee and Lee 2016). But in India there are lots of colors used in readymade cloth industry especially bright color. The female and the male clothes must have proper embroidery works as it is the most liked in countries like India. The Indian consumers prefer bright and vibrant colors. The differences that exist in the cultures of the people in countries of Europe and that of India are mainly because of the designs that have an influence on Europe. Statistics shows that the Indian cloth market is much more costly than the European cloth market. The designs promoted by the mentioned company appeals to the people because of its very small availability in the market. The fashion designing company established two shops in India in the capital city of Delhi and the commercial capital of Mumbai(Macchion et al. 2015). Describe Zaras inventory control methods at its various stages of the supply chain. Explain how this inventory control gives Zara a competitive advantage. Finding excess inventory or excess stocks that have not been sold is always a frustration for the operations department of the company. The supply chain must be designed in such a way that it helps to reduce the loss of inventory and garments (Magrath and McCormick 2013). The management has implemented the Inventory Optimization Model that helps the company to determine the quantity to be delivered to every retail stores of the company located worldwide through the shipments that go out twice in a week from its manufacturing units. The stock that is delivered to each of these different stores are restricted to the amount that the stores need and does not exceed the requirements. This helps the company to build a brand image of its own and avoid building up of unpopular stocks. The location of the production facilities to the port and airports help the company to save on the expenses of transportation. The plan of the management must be to take decisions on a proper basis which would be useful to increase the reputation of the brand. Analyze Zaras supply chain, determining the level of vertical integration and outsourcing of their global operations. Provide a diagram of the Zaras current supply chain, indicating which stages they own or outsource, and using data to support your claims. How does this compare to their major global competitors? Zaras strong distribution network enables the company to deliver goods to its European stores within 24 hours and to its American and Asian outlets in less than 40 hours (Rao 2014). According to Nelson Fraiman, a Columbia Business School professor who wrote a 2010 case study about Zara, the retail giant can get a product out from concept to store in just 15 days, while the industry standard is 6 months. This brands success story shows the strength of its operations. Its cross-functional operations strategy, coupled with its vertically integrated supply chain, enables mass production under push control, leading towell-managed inventories, lower markdowns, higher profitability, and value creation for shareholders in the short and long term. Zara is all about staying on top of the hottest trends, and exuding an exclusive feel, but its supply chain is the real star of the show. These rock star-level logistics take it from being just another fashion retailer to an industry example of fast fashion done right. In a challenging economic retail climate, there is one retailer that is crushing sales and swooping in for global domination. You may have heard of the international giant Zara, but if you havent, their supply chain management strategy is worth nothing (Robles and Severson 2016). This post looks at Zara's supply chain success, how they implement an Omni-channel experience, and their vertically integrated strategy that allows them to quickly innovate and alter products. Rather than outsourcing production to Asia, as many clothing retailers are wont to do, most of the products offered by Zara are manufactured in the dozen-or-so company-owned factories. However, items with a longer shelf-live are outsourced to low-cost suppliers. This gives Zara a competitive edge when supplying consumers with the items they want, when they want them. Zara is able to cater to a wide range of customers by providing seasonal clothing as well as more basic items like t-shirts (Tokatli 2014). Creatingan Omni-channel business Omni-Channeled business mainly focuses on utilizing the delivery of an efficient supply chain for enhancing a fascinating customer experience. This strategy is contrasted to multi channeled supply chains where the main focus is on the ways in which the customer pays for the different items. The sudden transformation of Zaras stock is the result of a proper production process that helps the company to become both agile and flexible. But the main fact that the people are unaware is the control over the supply chains because it is vertically integrated which means that the ownership is restricted to the supply chain of the organization (Varley 2014). Vertically integrated supply chains are just opposite to the horizontal integrations as they tend to partner with the third parties for the supply of the various component of business (West Ford and Ibrahim 2015). The following strategy helps the mentioned company to keep a tab on the unlimited costs as they does not outsource but receive their necessary items from multiple suppliers. Vertically Integrated Business are also best known for leveraging mass production principles of efficiency. References Caro, F. and Martnez-de-Albniz, V., 2015. Fast fashion: business model overview and research opportunities. InRetail Supply Chain Management(pp. 237-264). Springer US. Childs, M.L. and Jin, B., 2015. Internationalization Of Fast Fashion Retailers: Does It Follow The Uppsala Model?. InMarketing Dynamism Sustainability: Things Change, Things Stay the Same(pp. 693-696). Springer, Cham. de Jorge Moreno, J. and Carrasco, O.R., 2016. Efficiency, internationalization and market positioning in textiles fast fashion: The Inditex case.International Journal of Retail Distribution Management,44(4), pp.397-425. Fernie, J. and Sparks, L., 2014.Logistics and retail management: emerging issues and new challenges in the retail supply chain. Kogan page publishers. Gallien, J., Mersereau, A.J., Garro, A., Mora, A.D. and Vidal, M.N., 2015. Initial shipment decisions for new products at Zara.Operations Research,63(2), pp.269-286. Gomes, R.M.D.A.B., Carneiro, J.M.T. and da Rocha Dib, L.A., 2017. A contingent look at retail internationalization: Proposition of a taxonomy and discussion of theoretical challenges.BASE-Revista de Administrao e Contabilidade da Unisinos,14(1), pp.2-15. Hansen, S., 2014. How Zara Grew Into the World's Largest Fashion Retailer.[online] Nytimes. com. Kim, S.J., Lee, J.Y. and Lee, K.H., 2016. Global Pricing Strategy of the SPA Brand: Comparison with GDP and Big Mac Index.Fashion Textile Research Journal,18(3), pp.301-316. Macchion, L., Moretto, A., Caniato, F., Caridi, M., Danese, P. and Vinelli, A., 2015. Production and supply network strategies within the fashion industry.International Journal of Production Economics,163, pp.173-188. Magrath, V. and McCormick, H., 2013. Marketing design elements of mobile fashion retail apps.Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management: An International Journal,17(1), pp.115-134. Rao, K.G., 2014. Successful International Expansion of a Fashion Retailer: A Case Study of Zara.BS Publications, p.245. Robles, A. and Severson, R., 2016.Improving supply chain resilience for a fashion retailer: A qualitative and quantitative study(Doctoral dissertation). Tokatli, N., 2014. Single-firm case studies in economic geography: some methodological reflections on the case of Zara.Journal of Economic Geography,15(3), pp.631-647. Varley, R., 2014.Retail product management: buying and merchandising. Routledge. West, D.C., Ford, J. and Ibrahim, E., 2015.Strategic marketing: creating competitive advantage. Oxford University Press, USA.

Wednesday, December 4, 2019

What is Reality free essay sample

I have always believed that reality was something everyone in the world shares. In Platos The Allegory of the Cave, Socrates presents an opposing view, arguing that reality is something different for each and every individual based on his or her own knowledge and interpretations of the world. We will write a custom essay sample on What is Reality? or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page His idea is unique because it suggests that one individual born into a certain culture is likely to adopt a view of reality based on what is being taught in that culture while an individual born into a completely different culture will have a view of reality based on that specific culture. This means that reality is not something we can define objectively, but instead something subjective that individuals must define for themselves based on their own knowledge. As the story opens, Socrates uses the setting to help us understand his view that reality is something individually different for everyone based on his or her own knowledge and interpretation of the world. The story starts out set in a cave where prisoners have been kept since birth. Theyve been bound to the floor and are unable to see behind or to the sides of themselves; they can only see to the front. Behind the prisoners there is a fire with a partial wall behind it. Behind the wall, and out of the sight of the prisoners is another group of people. This group of holds statues up above the wall so that the prisoners can see shadows casted from them on the wall. Since the prisoners have lived in the cave their whole lives and know nothing of the outside world, what they see as shadows they presume to be the real things. They even think up different names for the objects they see, as indicated from the story. This opening scene introduces the reader to ideas that are essential to u nderstanding what Socrates is saying. We know that the objects in the shadows the prisoners are seeing are not the real objects themselves, but mere imitations. Since the prisoners know nothing of the outside world, they presume the shadows are the real things. Socrates tells us that the shadows would actually become the truth in the prisoners realities. In the next part of the story, Socrates explores his idea that reality is something different for each individual based on his or her own knowledge and interpretation of the world even more. In this part, a prisoner is released from the cave. At first, he is over whelmed by everything he sees around him. It takes him time to grow accustomed to it all. Then, he realizes he is in a world full of new, enlightening experiences and begins to pity the others down in the cave. What Socrates is trying to say by including this part in the story is that the prisoner once had his own accepted reality. While he was living in the cave, he accepted everything he saw as reality because he knew nothing of the world outside the cave. When he finally left the cave, he realized that his reality was not actually the truth. This is a brilliant metaphor used by Socrates to show us that reality is something different for each individual based on his or her own knowledge and interpretation of the world. To an individual in todays society, their reality is based on their culture and knowledge. For example, someone born in a country such as Iran is very likely to speak a different language, have a different religion, and have other unique things from their culture define their reality than someone born in a European country such as England. The person born in England will most likely have completely different views than the Iranian, but their views will define their reality the same way. Just like the prisoners in the cave having their own set reality based on what they see in the cave, people living on the outside of the cave have a completely different reality based on their lives in the world above it.