Abstract

In this essay Plato's classification of epistêmê is analyzed together with the meaning of dialektikê methodos as it appears in POLITEIA in order to understand the essence of philosophia in Platonic thinking in its multi-dimensional aspects. The relationship between the epistêmê and dialektikê methodos is then considered in which way the classification of epistêmê and the immediately related famous “cave allegory” is related and then in that relation how it enlightens the essential togetherness of paideia and philosophia. In that sense, the essay reconsiders the notion of epistêmê and its schematic structure and the act of turning in “cave allegory” as a visual metaphor in a new light which leads to lay bare the foundations of Platonic thinking as an all inclusive experience in its multi dimensional aspects which results in the transformation of psuchê for the good as it leads up to agathon. Conclusively, philosophia is a journey in the sense of poreian as a more or less introduction to dialektikê methodos which can only be practiced by sophos who is able to leave the cave to see the truth as it is and come back to help for others. In that way, epistêmê as knowledge is not a matter of mental cognition but can only be experienced with the whole of psuchê in its total turnabout and that knowledge itself in one aspect necessarily leads to freedom as getting freed from shackles in the cave as paideia and in another is nothing but philosophia as an act of turning from the darkness of doxa as amathia towards the light of agathon, to kalon and dikaion as alêtheia