Expert: Steven R. Storch - 8/19/2009

Question
Hello,
Culture can affect what we see and understand but which philosopher talks about culture and perception.
Does Plato's allegory of the cave suggest that we see and understand is hindered by our prior learning and cultural background?
Thank you

Answer
There are scores who talk about culture affecting perception...Nietzsche, Husserl, Heidegger, Gadamer, Habermas, and add all the structuralists, e.g. Levi-Strauss, Foucault, and the post-structuralists, e.g. Derrida.

The allegory does exactly that.

Storch