In my own opinion the meaning behind Plato’s Allegory of the Cave is that knowledge is important and that reality lies beyond just what you can see.  When you get through tough times in your own life you can see more clearly when you go back into the dark and you are able to help yourself and others.  When you get education it helps broaden your perspective and the way you look at things.  The other part of Plato’s meaning behind his Allegory is that reality lies beyond just what you can see.  For example humanity is part of our reality and that it exists but it is something that cannot be touched.  So, with the case of that it is clear that even though we can’t physically see or touch something it can still exist in reality.  The more education you get the larger your perspective, and it takes a higher form of knowledge to comprehend the reality beyond what we can see.

            There are several ideals of democracy in Pericles’ Funeral Oration that are highlighted with some being unrealistic.  One ideal that Pericles says is that there should be equal justice in the world.  Another ideal is that all foreigners are welcome to come and learn.  He wants to be able to learn from other people and cultures and for them to learn from his.  The third ideal that he highlights is that they have to have their own identity.  There are other democracies around them but they have to make sure that they are different form them.  They are allowed to partner up with other states but they are not allowed to copy them, they must have their own identity.