Plato\'s Allegory of the Cave if He

Plato's Allegory Of The Cave

If he were simply presenting the idea that humanity is often blind to the fullness and vast resources of the world and what it offers, using the cave as a metaphor would have been enough for Plato to make his point. If the only point was that individuals -- because they are so wrapped up in their own shallow lives, petty distractions, and so loyal to their sensory experiences -- can't (and don't) see the big picture of life and an of humanity's relationship to the universe, placing people in a dark cave would have been sufficient for Plato to convey his message. But by placing those allegorical individuals in chains -- and locking their heads in place to reduce what they see to shadows on a cave wall -- takes Plato's allegorical message quite a bit deeper.

Clearly the philosopher wanted to make the point that the world revealed to humans through their senses only opens up a partial experience with that world. With that in mind, I chose The History Guide's version of "Plato, The Allegory of the Cave" in "Lectures on Modern European Intellectual History" (http://www.historyguide.org/intellect/allegory.html). The author of this article is Steven Kreis. I made this choice of formats because first of all it features authentic Socratic dialogue (rather than an author's narrative based on the dialogue. Secondly, I chose it because it helps depict some of the dynamics in today's world in which, if certain participants could loosen their chains and come out into the true light of day, society would be much better off.

In other words, Kreis's presentation resonates with me because in addition to presenting an engaging dialogue between Socrates and Glaucon (Plato's older brother) -- which is actually Plato's record of what Socrates states -- the writer's version brings to mind awkward attempts at enlightenment ongoing in parts of the world today. One notable incident that comes to mind (in response to the dialogue presented) is the recent shocking slaughter in Norway, in which the shooter (Anders Behring Breivik) clearly seems to have been a prisoner in a cave where morality and humanity are nothing but shadowy images on a wall.

In the dialogue, Glaucon tells Socrates the shadows are "strange" and the prisoners are also "strange." Socrates replies that those strange prisoners are "like ourselves… they see only their own shadows, or the shadows of one another…." (Kreis, 2004, p. 2). Socrates went on with his philosophical argument, saying that if "any of the" prisoners was released he would have to turn his neck, which will bring "sharp pains" since his whole life he's been locked into looking straight ahead. And further, Socrates stated that if that liberated person were to look at the real world he would "…fancy that the shadows which he formerly saw are truer than the objects which are now shown to him…" (p. 2).

Indeed the light from outside the cave would be blinding to him, causing his eyes great pain, and hence he would likely not see the reality outside the cave for awhile because it will take time for him to be accustomed to the light. Once he has adjusted to the light, he would then, in Socrates' words, "…proceed to argue that this is he who gives the season and the years, and is the guardian of all that is in the visible world"; and in addition, now that he has emerged from a life in the shadows he will "felicitate himself on the change" and then would "pity" those still in the cave. In the case of Breivik, he left his "cave" and once out, he apparently believed he was the guardian of "all that is in the visible world"; hence, he as "guardian" decided to take the lives of 70 or so innocent campers. After being apprehended, Breivik requested that his first court appearance be televised around the world. The Norwegian judge denied his request, and sent him into a literal cave, solitary confinement (for 4 weeks).

Socrates (p. 3) insists that "Any one who has common sense will remember that the bewilderments of the eyes… arise from two causes, either from coming out of the light or from going into the light" (p. 4). Socrates thus raises the ultimate philosophical question for this assignment. If one is paying attention, one must wonder whether "the soul of man" comes from bright light and hence is blinded once he is confined to the dark, or "having turned from darkness to the day is dazzled by excess of light" (p. 4). Wither the soul of Breivik: in either scenario presented by Socrates, in his dark world he is blind to the pain so many others are experiencing now that he has taken the lives of so many brothers, sons, sisters, daughters, nephews, cousins, mothers, fathers, classmates and friends.