Slavery: Physical, Mental, Spiritual, Tori Tinsley, UG '24 (90ED54C3)

From Research Princeton Research Day May 2nd, 2024

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This thesis defends Plato’s Allegory by arguing that physical and mental freedom are necessary for human freedom. These freedoms are necessary because they fulfill the precondition for human freedom: they ensure that the individual has the capacity to act.

However, this thesis also challenges Plato’s Allegory by arguing that it is incomplete. Plato’s Allegory presumes that mental freedom is the height of human freedom and perfectibility. Plato believes that the individual can perfect his reason and virtue to obtain “the absolute good.” He assumes that human reason is sufficient for attaining the idea of the good. But, Plato fails to recognize the reality of human fallibility and sinfulness as a result of the Fall of Man. Consequently, mental freedom is a freedom with human limits. I endeavor to extend Plato’s Allegory of the Cave so that it includes a path from spiritual slavery to spiritual freedom, which, I argue, is the highest form of freedom. By spiritual freedom, I specifically refer to the idea of Christian freedom – a freedom which is acquired by becoming a follower of Jesus Christ. Because Plato preceded Christianity, I have taken it upon myself to modify his Allegory in light of spiritual truth.

My ultimate goal, in constructing this thesis, is two-fold: to expand the reader’s understanding of slavery to include mental and spiritual slavery, and to urge the reader to consider the ways in which these unconventional forms of slavery can inform our understanding of human freedom and its requirements.. It is my hope that my thesis can empower individuals as they embark on the path to becoming free.

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Slavery: Physical, Mental, Spiritual, Tori Tinsley, UG '24 (90ED54C3)

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