Plato’s Allegory of the Cave

What is an Allegory? Al-le-go-ry –noun, plural -ries. 1. a representation of an abstract or spiritual meaning through concrete or material forms; figurative treatment of one subject under the guise of another. 2. a symbolical narrative: the allegory of Piers Plowman.

What is the Story About? Diagram of “The Cave”

Symbolism Within the Story Inside the Cave = The Physical World The fire = The sun Objects casting shadows = Objects Shadows on the wall = Images

Symbolism Within the Story Outside the Cave = The Intelligible World The sun = The form of good Objects = Forms Shadows = Concepts

What do the symbols mean? Inside the cave, the prisoners mistake appearance for reality. They believe that the images they are seeing on the wall are actually real, they do not know that there are objects making these images. The prisoner thinks he is talking about a “book,” when really he is talking of a shadow.

What is Plato trying to say? “Education, is, according to the generally accepted view of it, nothing but the forcing of thoughts into the minds of children. For, says Plato, each person has within himself the ability to think. If one does not understand, this is because one is held by the fetters. Whenever the soul is bound by the fetters of suffering, pleasure, etc. it is unable to contemplate through its own intelligence the unchanging pattern of things.”(Brian Thomas. 2009)

Modern Day Examples The Matrix is a construct meant to keep people enslaved. Morpheus asks Neo, “What is real? How do you define real?” Later he tells Neo, “No one can be told what the Matrix is. You have to see it for itself.” This can be seen as an interpretation of Plato’s works.