For your main post, please write two or more paragraphs (total 200+ words) on the following:

Paragraph 1 (Your Essay 4 Thesis):

Begin with a one sentence thesis that fully answers the Essay 4 question:

• Choose two of Plato’s ideas from the Allegory of the Cave in The Republic and explain whether you think the experiences of extreme sport athletes in flow states support or reject those ideas.

Possible 3 thesis types:

1. A thesis where you argue the athletes might support one Plato idea but reject another one.
2. A thesis where you argue the athletes support both Plato ideas
3. A thesis where you argue the athletes reject both Plato ideas.

Possible Plato arguments to consider for your thesis (make sure to avoid plagiarism of Dr Kwa’s wording):

• The world of the senses is not a reliable source of universal truths.
• The only way to discover universal truths is through logic / the intellect rather than the senses.
• As a person who is expert at using the intellect to discover universal truths, a philosopher is the person most qualified in any community to be its highest governing leader or king.
• The logical ability to reason is innate and cannot be learned through education.
• Not all people have the ability or deserve to become part of the ruling class of philosopher kings since some people lack the innate ability to reason.
• Universal truths exist; these are ideas, which are true all the time regardless of time, history, context, or point of view.
• It is painful to be the trailblazer who travels between the world of the senses (inside cave) and the world of universal truths (outside the cave), but it is worth the discomfort because of what one can do to benefit others in society.
• The highest level of human achievement or the greatest good / meaningful experience one can have in life is to perceive universal truths through the intellect.
• Universal truths show philosophers the Good in the world as a unifying, orderly, beautiful, and purposeful force that is very similar to what many people of various religions call “God.”
• Another Platonic idea from the “Allegory of the Cave” not on this list.

Paragraph 2 or More (Quotation Analysis)

• Support your thesis with quotations from both Plato's Allegory of the Cave and Kotler's Rise of Superman.

• End your main post with an interesting question for the class that stems from the ideas in your post.