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The two philosophical works, namely Platos Allegory of the Cave (1962) and Immanuel Kants What is enlightenment? (1784), present their authors views concerning a better state and society. Although they were written almost 2000 years apart from each other, the ideas that the philosophers developed share many common aspects. First of all, Plato and Kant believe that philosophical reasoning and critical thinking are the key factors promoting social change. Secondly, both philosophers believe that under the existing structure, only a few people possess the ability to see behind the illusion of the cave. Thirdly, Plato and Kant emphasize that those more enlightened would face opposition from other individuals. As such, the Plato writes, would they not let him know that he had gone up but only in order to come back down into the cave with his eyes ruined (Plato, 1962). In a similar vein, Kant says, now I hear the cry from all sides: Do not argue! (1784). Therefore, it is fair to claim that the two great minds have a similar general plan for promoting social development.
Yet, there are some differences in their views regarding significant points. For instance, Kant believes that all the people can become enlightened under the leadership of thinkers, whereas Plato seemingly believes that there always will be a difference between philosophers and commoners. It implies that Kant sees enlightened people as the tool to educate others, whereas Plato argues that thinkers should become government officials to guide social improvement. For this reason, the two philosophers prefer various strategies to achieve their vision. On the one hand, Plato seeks to create a method that would allow people with good intellectual abilities to be willing to promote righteousness and inspire them to be governmental officials. On the contrary, Kant claimed that all the people should be provided freedom as scholars to communicate all their ideas to the general public.
Although the two philosophers presented quite appealing ideas regarding social change, in my opinion, at the current point in history, those plans seem utopian. It seems almost impossible for the philosopher to become a nations leader under the modern democratic system as his or her ideas would be unacceptable to the common population. Additionally, the development of the internet space, where many intellectuals can post their thoughts freely, does not lead to mass enlightenment.
References
Kant, I. (1784).What is enlightenment? Web.
Plato. (1962). The collected dialogues of Plato (H. Cairns & H. Cairns Eds.). Bollingen Series
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