The Allegory of The Cave
The Allegory of the Cave is an image of ignoranthumanity. The cave itself represents ignorance, to which mankind is chained. We are all born into this state ofinexperience, similar to the prisoners who are unaware oftheir own limited perspective. They sit chained to this wallsearching for the truth, yet they only acquire the shadow ofMost people do not want to believe what is true. Theyare secure being chained to the wall of ignorance. Whenone's eyes are forced away from what is counterfactual andare brought into the light, he does not want to believe what
Once he is released from the chains ofignorance and is enlightened, he discovers a clearer visionof the world in which he lives. As long as man believes that the cave in which he lives isthe ultimate reality, he will always be living in darknessand unsophistication. We would be mistaken if we thought that theconcepts we grasp were on the same level as the things weperceive. He must not fall into this trap which hisego sets. The person who is represented by theprisoner finally becomes aware that righteousness is theorigin of existence. ------------------------------------------------------------------------. Education is not a process of receiving knowledge intoinexperienced minds, but discovering what one already knows. Plato was exact when he said those individualswho are experiencing ignorance will attempt to annihilatethose who are striving to lead someone to the righteous way. With this clear vision he finds himself in a positionof feeling superior to those who are still chained to thewall of ignorance. He realizes what is right, that thereare invisible truths lying under the apparent surface ofthings which only the most enlightened can recognize andunderstand. It is up to oneself to remove thechains of ignorance and move out of the darkness and intothe light of reality and truth. It takes him time to discover and acceptwhat is reality. Ones ego can be debilitated by disciplining ourwill over time. The significance of The Allegory of the Cave is that thereare truths incapable of being conquered underneath theillusory surface of things, which only the enlightened cancomprehend. Man can be so blind that out of dismay he will attemptand is sometimes successful in destroying what he does notunderstand.
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