The people holding the original objects near the fire are the sophist who contort truth and through the fire or systems of dissemination spread propaganda which is illustrated by the shadows, which intern is believed by the prisoners as truth. The prisoners are the ancient Greek citizenry, bound by the shackles of ignorance. The allegory of the cave illustrates the Athenian democracy that sentenced Socrates to death. No longer valuing what the prisoners see as reality he is labeled as one who is corrupted and ridiculed for his nonsensical beliefs.
Entering the cave, the former prisoner can no longer see the shadows, only the darkness that is perceived by being exposed to the brightness of outside. Once illustrating the split in each reality, that within the cave and outside, Socrates further develops the allegory by having the former prisoner go back into the cave. However, its rays illuminate the truth of the world he or she begins to realize that shadows are a false reality constructed by the workings of the cave. When leaving the shadows, the prisoner begins by examining things he is able to see as the sun is too bright to look at. Naturally, the inhabitant of the cave would be pained by the bright lights illuminating the caves exit. Setting up the framework for his analogy, Plato uses the character of Socrates to describe what would happen if a prisoner were freed from his shackles. However, along the side of the cave there is an entrance or exit to the underground dwelling that is denoted by its rays of light only visible once the opening is seen. Bound by these restraints the prisoners are unaware of the existence of a fire or other people besides their own self therefore the shadows on the wall in front of them are ultimate reality the figures are not shadows, but rather an undeniable truth to each prisoner. Adjacent to them is a wall which projects the shadows of numerous people and objects created from a large fire. Beneath the surface there resides a cave with human beings, since birth, shackled by their necks and legs prohibiting movement. Before a philosopher is born he or she is an unknowing prisoner in Plato’s allegory of the cave. In contemporary society citizens must heed the words of Socrates and stand firm on the pursuit of truth even if confronted by those who remain bound by the shackles of ignorance and indifference. And just as I accept my penalty, so must they.
#Allegory of the cave meaning trial
When on trial in the Apology, Socrates makes clear that the way of the sophist is a state of being worse than death, “I take my leave, convicted by the truth of wickedness and injustice. In conflict with the states agenda, Socrates was accused of corrupting the youth, as his pursuit of truth was based on relational pedagogy, thus engaging many open-minded youths in the agora through the dialectic. Democracy in Athens was controlled by the sophists or those who, instead of pursuing truth, spread propaganda to the polis in order to consolidate power. After the death of Socrates Plato took it upon himself to express his discontent for this political system and its exploitation in ancient Greece. The Republic is a dialogue that challenges the efficacy of democracy and serves as a foundation on which all political thought is built upon.
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