Allegory Of The Cave

In The Republic, Plato tells a scene through the conversation between of one of his students, Glaucon, and his mentor, Socrates. The scene, titled Allegory of the Cave, represents the state of the human race, who is blind to reality. The allegory continues to demonstrate what happens when one person becomes enlightened. Socrates describes a scene set deep in a cave, where a group of men sit chained to a wall. Above and behind them another group of men hold up a flat cut-out shape that resembles an object. They hold this object near a flame in such a manner it casts a shadow to the wall in front of the bound men. These men casting shadows do not ever speak or make themselves known to the others. As the shadows appear, the men name them after the objects they resemble. …show more content…
This man does not move his head to avert from the shadows until he suddenly compelled to by the other man. His eyes subsequently burn at the sight of the fire and then told the shadows are just an illusion. He is perplexed by what he is told and refuses to believe the objects in front of him are truer than the shadows he has stared at his entire life. The man then dragged him out of the cave into the sunlight, which further causes pain to his vision. After he adjusted to the sun, the outside world amazed him. He remembers those chained in the cave and pities them, so he tries to turn back and tell them of the beauty found outside. His claim that the shadows are not true objects only angered the men. They ask him to name the shadows to determine that he is in fit mental condition. However, after failing, the men sentence him to