This Greek philosopher elaborated an idea to illustrate how the human being faces the Truth.
These ideas are very well collected in one of the most memorable writings of this Athenian philosopher: the one that refers to what is known as “Plato’s cave myth”, and which is part of The Republic , the best-known work of this author.
In this article we will see what Plato’s allegory of the cave says and how it reflects the ideas of this Greek thinker.
The myth or allegory of the cave
First of all, it is necessary to clarify that although this text is known above all as “Plato’s cave myth”, technically it is not a myth, but an allegory.
This is so because there is no evidence that it was a narration or a reinterpretation of a traditional fictitious story shared by a cultural community, as happens in myths.
In any case, it is a story that allows Plato to develop his ideas through an allegory that visually represents the process by which, according to him, truth and true knowledge are accessed.
For this reason, the allegory of Plato’s cave presents us with a situation that has never happened literally and has no reason to happen, and that at the same time does not serve to explain either the nature of heroes, gods or demigods or their fictional exploits. , but simply helps to understand a part of Plato’s philosophy.
Let’s see, then, what is that story narrated in an allegorical way, and what does it mean according to the Athenian philosopher.
What does Plato’s cave writing mean?
In the myth of the cave, Plato asks us to imagine a series of people chained to a rock at the bottom of a cave, all facing one of the vaulted walls.
Behind these people and the large rock to which they are attached, there are a series of characters that the chained cannot see (because they are looking in the opposite direction and the rock is in the way) and who hold on them figures in the form of silhouette of objects, animals, people and geographical accidents: in essence, representations of everything that we can perceive through the senses.
And behind these characters, who are constantly moving and changing figures, there is a great fire, so that the shadow of these figures creates shadow silhouettes on the wall that those in chains can see.
That is to say: the chained can only see the vaulted wall and the silhouette-shaped shadows that are constantly projected on it . According to Plato, constant exposure to this kind of stimuli makes those in chains believe that the only reality that exists is those shadows: they don’t even ask questions about what is projecting them.
In contrast to this, Plato points out that if any of the chained breaks this dynamic of passivity that implies staring at a wall contemplating shadows and decides to free himself from the chains, he will have the opportunity to access the Truth, the true knowledge that being conscious supposes. that there is a world beyond that cave wall. However, this liberation process is not easy and requires a lot of effort and sacrifice.
The phases of access to the Truth
Let us see here what are the phases by which, according to Plato, someone can abandon the phase of deception that implies depending only on the senses and, little by little, gain access to true knowledge.
1. Phase of trickery and shadows
The fact that Plato uses shadows as an example of deception is not accidental: they represent the way in which the senses can make us understand something that is not , an element that can only help us to access the truth if we look in the direction in which its origin is.
This is, according to this philosopher, the state in which all people are by default, since to want to access the truth it is necessary to consciously propose it and go beyond comfortable and convenient explanations about what happens in reality.
2. Chain release phase
Breaking free from the zone in which one is imprisoned is a necessary reaction to be truly wise, according to Plato, but it is not the only one nor is it sufficient to access true knowledge . It is only the first step, the sign that the world of shadows is no longer considered the only possible world.
3. Ascension phase
This is one of the most important parts in the myth of the cave, since it is made up of almost all the efforts and sacrifices that must be fulfilled to access the truth . As we will see, it is a battle against oneself and the deceptions of the senses, based above all on introspection and the use of reason.
At the end of this route through which you go up the cave until you find the exit, the liberated person goes outside, in the open air. There she is dazzled by sunlight, which in contrast to the light emitted by the fire in the cave, represents what is true, that which is not intended to create deceit, but exists by itself.
At first, getting used to sunlight is painful, especially for someone used to the darkness of the cave. However, in the end, whoever has freed himself from the chains and ascended the cave learns to be exposed to that clarity.
4. Return phase
Until now, we have seen a process of liberation that is above all individual, of a personal nature.
However, Plato sees in the Truth something that must be known by all, beyond the preferences and priorities of each one . Since the true exists, it must permeate all human consciousness.
Therefore, whoever has freed himself and left the cave must return to it to share his knowledge with the rest and encourage others to free themselves from chains and deception.
Its relationship with Platonic philosophy
As we have seen, Plato clearly distinguishes between the false and the true , to the point where in this allegory he attributes to them two different spaces, each one relatively isolated from the other, but in which the truth is much greater and is not restricted to a very particular context, but rather encompasses practically all of reality.
This division is characteristic of Platonic philosophy, which on many occasions has even been defined as dualism, in the sense that the world of truth, made up of existing ideas regardless of what the senses tell us, seems totally detached from the world. sensory world, as if they were two parallel dimensions.
However, we must not forget that this disconnection between the two is relative, since for Plato the sensory exists as an imperfect and manipulated reflection of the world of ideas: they do not have an analogous relationship, in which each reality is hierarchically equivalent in its respective worlds, but the world of ideas is clearly superior to that of the delusions of the senses.
On the other hand, we can also see how Plato relates the process of access to knowledge with a series of morally charged actions : staying chained is bad, and getting out of the cave is good. This is another of the most important aspects of Platonic philosophy, since Plato, contrary to what the sophists of Ancient Greece did (whom this thinker criticized a lot), understands knowledge and goodness as practically indistinguishable entities, as as his mentor, Socrates, did earlier.
These three ideas are what summarize the meaning of Plato’s allegory of the cave: the existence of a world that is far beyond the material, of what we can perceive sensorially, the subordination of the sensory world to the world of ideas, from which it emanates, and the moral need to access the truth transcending the deceptions of the senses.
Bibliographic references
- Elliott, R.K. (1967). Socrates and Plato’s Cave. Kant-Studien. 58 (2): 138.
- Jaeger, W. W. (2004). Paideia: the ideals of Greek culture. Madrid: Economic Culture Fund.
- Pojman , L. & Vaughn , L. (2011). Classics of Philosophy. New York: Oxford University Press.
To the classic question “what do you do?” I always answer “basically I am a psychologist”. In fact, my academic training has revolved around the psychology of development, education and community, a field of study influenced my volunteer activities, as well as my first work experiences in personal services.