The-Allegory-of-the-Cave-by-Plato

“TheAllegoryoftheCave”–anexcerptfromBookVIIofTheRepublicbyPlatotranslatedin1941byFrancisM.CornfordNext,saidI,hereisaparabletoillustratethedegreesinwhichournaturemaybeenlightenedorunenlightened.Imaginetheconditionofmenlivinginasortofcavernouschamberunderground,withanentranceopentothelightandalongpassagealldownthecave.Heretheyhavebeenfromchildhood,chainedbythelegandalsobytheneck,sothattheycannotmoveandcanseeonlywhatisinfrontofthem,becausethechainswillnotletthemturntheirheads.Atsomedistancehigherupisthelightofafireburningbehindthem;andbetweentheprisonersandthefireisatrackwithaparapetbuiltalongit,likethescreenatapuppetshowwhichhidestheperformerswhiletheyshowtheirpuppetsoverthetop.Isee,saidhe.Nowbehindthisparapetimaginepersonscarryingalongvariousartificialobjects,includingfiguresofmenandanimalsinwoodorstoneorothermaterials,whichprojectabovetheparapet.Naturally,someofthesepersonswillbetalking,otherssilent.Itisastrangepicture,hesaid,andastrangesortofprisoners.Likeourselves,Ireplied;forinthefirstplaceprisonerssoconfinedwouldhaveseennothingofthemselvesorofoneanother,excepttheshadowsthrownbythefire-lightonthewalloftheCavefacingthem,wouldthey?Notifalltheirlivestheyhadbeenpreventedfrommovingtheirheads.Andtheywouldhaveseenaslittleoftheobjectscarriedpast.Ofcourse.--66--Now,iftheycouldtalktooneanother,wouldtheynotsupposethattheirwordsreferredonlytothosepassingshadowswhichtheysaw?Necessarily.Andsupposetheirprisonhadanechofromthewallfacingthem?Whenoneofthepeoplecrossingbehindthemspoke,theycouldonlysupposethatthesoundcamefromtheshadowpassingbeforetheireyes.Nodoubt.Ineveryway,then,suchprisonerswouldrecognizeasrealitynothingbuttheshadowsofthoseartificialobjects.Inevitably.Nowconsiderwhatwouldhappeniftheirreleasefromthechainsandthehealingoftheirunwisdomshouldcomeaboutinthisway.Supposeoneofthemsetfreeandforcedsuddenlytostandup,turnhishead,andwalkedwitheyesliftedtothelight;allthesemovementswouldbepainful,andhewouldbetoodazzledtomakeouttheobjectswhoseshadowshehadbeenusedtoseeing.Whatdoyouthinkhewouldsayifsomeonetoldhimthatwhathehadformerlyseenwasmeaninglessillusion,butnow,beingsomewhatnearertorealityandturnedtowardsmorerealobjects,hewasgettingatruerview?Supposefurtherthathewereshownthevariousobjectsnowshownhimtobenotsorealaswhatheformerlysaw?Yes,notnearlysoreal.Andifhewereforcedtolookatthefire-lightitself,wouldnothiseyesache,sothathewouldtrytoescapeandturnbacktothethingswhichhecouldseedistinctly,convincedthattheyreallywereclearerthattheseotherobjectsnowbeingshowntohim?Yes.Andsupposesomeoneweretodraghimawayforciblyupthesteepandruggedascentandnotlethimgountilhehauledhimoutintothesunlight,wouldhenotsufferpainandvexationatsuchtreatmentandwhenhehadcomeoutintothelight,findhiseyessofullofitsradiancethathecouldnotseeaglimpseoneofthethingsthathewasnowtoldwerereal?Certainlyhewouldnotseethemallatonce.Hewouldneed,then,togrowaccustomedbeforehecouldseethingsinthatupperworld.Atfirstitwouldbeeasiesttomakeoutshadows,andthentheimagesofmenandthingsreflectedinwater,andlateronthethingsthemselves.Afterthat,itwouldbeeasiertowatchtheheavenlybodiesandtheskyitselfbynight,lookingatthelightofthemoonandstarsratherthantheSunandtheSun’slightinthedaytime.Yes,surely.Lastofall,hewouldbeabletolookattheSunandcontemplateitsnature,notasitappearswhenreflectedinwateroranyalienmedium,butasitisinitselfinitsowndomain.--67--Nodoubt.AndnowhewoldbegintodrawtheconclusionthatitistheSunthatproducestheseasonsandthecourseoftheyearandcontrolseverythinginthevisibleworld,andmoreoverisinawaythecauseofallthatheandhiscompanionsusedtosee.Clearlyhewouldcomeatlasttothatconclusion.Thenifhecalledtomindhisfellowprisonersandwhatpassedforwisdominhisformerdwellingplace,hewouldsurelythinkhimselfhappyinthechangeandbesorryforthem.Theymayhavehadapracticeofhonoringandcommendingoneanother,withprizesforthemanwhohadthekeenesteyeforthepassingshadowsandthebestmemoryfortheorderinwhichtheyfollowedoraccompaniedoneanother,sothathecouldmakeagoodguessastowhichwasgoingtocomenext.WouldourreleasedprisonerbelikelytocovetthoseprizesortoenvythemenexaltedtohonorandpowerintheCave?WouldhenotfeellikeHomer’sAchilles,thathewouldfarsooner“beonearthasahiredservantinthehouseofalandlessman”orendureanythingratherthangobacktohisoldbeliefsandliveintheoldway?Yes,hewouldpreferanyfatetosuchalife.NowimaginewhatwouldhappenifhewentdownagaintotakehisformerseatintheCave.Comingsuddenlyoutofthesunlight,hiseyeswouldbefilledwithdarkness.Hemightberequiredoncemoretodeliverhisopiniononthoseshadows,incompetitionwiththeprisonerswhohadneverbeenreleased,whilehiseyesightwasstilldimandunsteady;anditmighttakesometimetobecomeusedtothedarkness.Theywouldlaughathimandsaythathehadgoneuponlytocomebackwithhissightruined;itwasworthnoone’stimeeventoattempttheascent.Iftheycouldlayhandsonthemanwhowastryingtosetthemfreeandleadthemup,theywouldkillhim.Yes,theywould.Everyfeatureinthisparable,mydearGlaucon,ismeanttofitourearlieranalysis.Theprisondwellingcorrespondstotheregionrevealedtousthroughthesenseofsight,andfire-lightwithinittothepoweroftheSun.Theascenttoseethet