In the essay “The Allegory of the Cave” by Plato, he questions what it means to be “enlightened” and how one should use their knowledge to better the “State.” Plato answers these questions with an allegory, which is “a story that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one.” Through this allegory, Plato begins to describe an underground cave, in which humans have been kept, chained to only see one wall, their whole lives. Due to this limited vision, the only reality they know is merely shadows passing along the wall. The story continues when one of the humans escapes not only the chains, but the entire cave as well. He now knows the truth, and comes to realize that, until now, he has been looking at shadows
