The Allegory of The Cave by Plato
Plato’s Fable To Highlight the Fact of How our Perception Shapes our Reality.
The allegory of the cave is one of the famous short excerpts from Plato’s book ‘The Republic.’ This story by Plato puts some light on our perceptions and reality. He highlights how knowledge gained through the senses shapes our reality and that reality might be a mile away from what we think it is.
In the book ‘The Republic-VII, Socrates tells Glaucon about the allegory of the cave.
The Allegory
Imagine a group of the chained prisoners sitting in front of a wall in an underground cave. They cannot move their hands, feet, or neck as they are chained. All they can do is look at the curtain wall that is in front of them.
Behind them, a fire is burning which is somewhat on higher ground, and between them is a raised walkway. Some people(Influencers) carrying objects pass by that walkway which cast shadows on the curtain wall. The chained prisoners look at them and interpret those shadows in their own way. They discuss and interpret those shadows. Some intellectuals from that group of prisoners can notice some pattern, use their intellect, and can predict the forthcoming shadow. The title of ‘Genius’ is conferred on him due to his intellect.
