Blog 2: The Allegory Of The Cave

  The Allegory Of The Cave is an excerpt from The Republic. It starts by Socrates telling Glaucon about enslaved human beings living in a underground den. These slaves are chained and can't move, they only see a fire in the distance. Between the slaves and the fire is a wall and over there is where they show the puppets. The slaves can only see their shadows and the shadows of other slaves. In this prison they can hear eachother with echos. A slave is released and he goes toward the light and it hurts his eyes. He is told that everything he saw before was an illusion. Now he is closer to having a clearer vision. If he looks into the light his eyes will be dazzled and he won't be able to see what he calls realities. He will have to get used to the sight of the upper world. He will start to see the sky and see the stars. He'll see the sun in his own proper place. He'll start to argue that the sun gives the seasons and years. Then he remembered his old habitation and remember the wisdom of his fellow prisoners and pity their wisdom. He would rather suffer than to live in false notions. After he has been in the sun, would he have darkness in his eyes when he goes back into the cave? Many of the slaves would think he left the cave and lost his eyes due to the sun. So if anyone in the cave tries to help another escape they will be put to death. In conclusion Socrates explains to Glaucon that the cave is the world of sight, the light is the fire, and the journey to leave the cave is to go into the intellectual world. Seeing takes an effort.