Plato's philosophy and influence on Western thought

Plato's cave allegory offers a rich analogy of the way human beings perceive and react to reality. The people living in the cave are described as being in shackles; they are self-made prisoners or prisoners of their own mind. They watch shadows on the wall and mistake those images for reality. Plato wrote the Republic long before television was invented and yet the allegory of the cave seems to accurately describe the way many people are shackled to their couches, watching reality television while not participating fully in the world outside their homes. Like the prisoners of the cave, these people talk mainly about the characters they watch on television -- "And if they were able to converse with one another, would they not suppose that they were naming what was actually before them?"

Taking the allegory further, the character of Socrates describes what could happen if the prisoners were released, if they were suddenly able to turn their head towards the entrance of the cave. Anyone who moves towards the exit of the cave will experience growing pains as they notice that the shadows on the wall are actually cast by the sun. The entire body and soul react in shock to the sudden onslaught of light -- or information. "He will be unable to see the realities of which in his former state he had seen the shadows," meaning that this individual will be no longer to share in the common thoughts of the prisoners. That person is alone.

Some of the prisoners would resist the truth because they are so used to their limited perception and comfortable with the illusory life. This is the equivalent of people who know that their sedentary couch potato lifestyle is harmful but continue to pursue it anyway. It is simply easier for people to remain in the dark comfort of the cave than to emerge and be temporarily blinded by the light. Similarly, the analogy can be made with anyone who continues to live an unhealthy lifestyle or pursue bad relationships.

The image of the light is a strong one in Plato's cave story. Light symbolizes knowledge, power, and information. Light symbolizes the truth. The word "enlightenment" refers to the person who sees the light, who sees the truth. Discovering the source of light proves that the shadows are merely illusions -- the effect of light bouncing off concrete objects. The awareness that reality is an illusion is a liberating but frightful experience. For many people, enlightenment creates too much pain. Enlightenment forces genuine lifestyle changes. Using Plato's analogy, enlightenment means leaving the comfortable and familiar world of the cave.

One of the key moments in Plato's allegory of the cave is when the individual must choose whether or not to return. Socrates rightly assumes that there is great risk in returning to the cave and destroying the illusion. It may be far better for individuals to discover on their own the nature of reality. It is virtually impossible to force someone to "see the light." In some ways, Plato is suggesting that the effort and growing pain of returning to the light is as important as the awareness obtained. The "whole body," as Plato puts it, is required to achieve total liberation from the illusions of the cave.