1. Allegory of the Cave Book 7 of Plato’s Republic
Dialogue between Socrates and Glaucon
Immediate Context: the nature of education
Larger Context: Plato’s ideal vision of the State

2. What is an Allegory?
A fictional story in which some message or “truth” is represented and communicated by way of symbols.
An extended metaphor
Understand what the symbols represent.
Understand the basic message.

3. The Message of the Allegory
State of Ignorance
Enlightenment
Process
Education

4. Appearances = What seems to be but is not.
Presupposition
The Allegory of the Cave presupposes that there is a distinction between reality and appearances.
Reality = What is
Appearances = What seems to be but is not.

5. Visual Representation of
the Allegory

6. Symbols in the Allegory of the Cave
The Shadows
The Artifacts
Objects in the Outer World
The Sun
The Shackles
The Path to the Exit of the Cave

7. Perspective of the Prisoners
Prisoners have a perspective. They are not without sight.
Their perspective is at least indirectly related to the truth.
Their perspective is limited.
Their perspective distorted.
The prisoners are not aware that their perspective is limited and distorted.

8. The Nature of Education
Not putting information into the minds of people
Liberating their innate capacity to know

9. Our Shackles
What shackles us?