In Plato’s "Allegory of the Cave" it is argued that many people are prisoners of their own reality. The cave is preserved as a hole of darkness and eternal life. Socrates explains his theory to Glaucon that the prisoners who have been living all their life in a cave chained up to wall will not accept reality for which it really is. They will not want to adopt to it and will deny it.
These prisoners are chained to a wall with no way of escaping. They are forced to look at this wall because they are unable to turn their heads. They may only look in front of them for which they are looking at shadows that are being cast by what we now call are puppeteers. Every prisoner experiences the same reality. The cave overshadows the true reality these prisoners aren’t experiencing. Socrates, Paltos brother believes that if these prisoners were to be let free into their reality, they would be gravely mistaken to what is reality is.
Socrates explains to Glaucon in their conversation that if a prisoner is adapted to there old habitation they would deny and rather live the reality they’ve been living then adapt to what they would see beyond the cave. They would rather suffer and live depressing lives then accept this new reality they’ve been introduced to. Socrates argues the idea that because these prisoners grew up in the reality where they cannot turn their heads, or see because of the darkness surrounding them they will not accept the reality he and Glaucon live in.
Our light is the sun; our lives revolve with the ability to see. These prisoners see what darkness is. They have no sight, though they are not blind but only unaware of the light that doesn’t enter the cave. If they were to be let free into the reality beyond the cave they would deny it and wish to return to their own reality they have been living in for their entire lives.
No comments:
Post a Comment