The Cave PLATO

TheCave.docx  (Plato)

“Next, then,” I said, “take the following parable of education and ignorance as a picture of the condition of our nature. Imagine mankind as dwelling in an underground cave with a long entrance open to the light across the whole width of the cave; in this they have been from childhood, with necks and legs fettered, so they have to stay where they are. They cannot move their heads round because of the fetters, and they can only look forward but light comes to them from fire burning behind them higher up at a distance. Between the fire and the prisoners is a road above their level, and along it imagine a low wall has been built, as puppet showmen have screens in front of their people over which they work their puppets.”
“I see,” he said.
“See, then, bearers carrying along this wall all sorts of articles which they hold projectiong above the wall, statues of men and other living things, made of stone or wood and all kinds of stuff, some of the bearers speaking and some silent, as you might expect.”
“What a remarkable image,” he said, “and what remarkable prisoners!”
“Just like ourselves,” I said. “For, first of all, tell me this: what do you think such people would have seen of themselves and each other except their shadows, which the fire cast on the opposite wall of the cave?”
“I don’t see how they could see anything else,” he said, “if they were compelled to keep their heads unmoving all their lives!”
“Very well, what of the things being carried along? Would not this be the same?”
“Of course it would.”
“Suppose the prisoners were able to talk together, don’t you think that when they named the shadows which they saw passing they would believe they were naming things?”
“Necessarily.”
“Then if their prison had an echo from the opposite wall, whenever one of the passing bearers uttered a sound, would they not suppose that the passing shadow must be making the sound? Don’t you think so?”
“Indeed I do,” he said.
“If so,” said I, “such persons would certainly believe that there were no realities except those shadows of handmade things.”
“So it must be,” he said.
“Now consider,” said I, “what their release would be like, and their cure from these fetters and their folly; let us imagine whether it might naturally be something like this. One might be released, and compelled suddenly to stand up and turn his neck round, and to walk and look towards the firelight; allthis would hurt him, and he would be too much dazzled to see distinctl those things whose shadows he had seen before. What do you think he would say, if someone told him that what he saw before was foolery, but now he saw more rightly, being a bit nearer reality and turned towards what was a little more real? What if he were shown each of the passing things, and compelled by questions to answer what each one was? Don’t you think he would be puzzled and believe what he saw before was more true than what was shown to him now?”
“Far more,” he said.
“Then suppose he were compelled to look towards the real light, it would hurt his eyes, and he would ecape by turning them away to the things which he was able to look at, and these he would believe to be clearer than what was being shown to him.”
“Just so,” said he.
“Suppose, now,” said I, “that someone should drag him thence by force, up the rough ascent, the steep way up, and never stop until he could drag him out into the light of the sun, would he not be distressed and furious at being dragged; and when he came into the light, the brilliance would fill his eyes and he would not be able to see even one of the things now called real?”
“That he would now,” said he, “all of the sudden.”
“He would have to get used to it, surely, I think, if he is to see the things above. First he would most easily look at shadows, after that images of mankind and the rest in water, lastly the things themselves. After this he would find it easier to survey by night the heavens themselves and all that is in them, gazing at the light of the stars and moon,r ather than by day the sun and the sun’s light.”
“Of course.”
“Last of all, I suppose, the sun; he could look on the sun itself by itself in it sown place, and see what it is like, not reflections of I tin water or as it appears in some alien setting.”
“Necessarily,” said he.
“And only after this he might reaspn about it, how this is he who provides seaesons and yaers, and is set over all there is in the visible region, and he is in a manner the cause of all things which they saw.”
“Yes, it is clear,” said he, “that after all that, he would come to this last.”
“Very good. Let him be reminded of his first habitation, and what was wisdom in that place, and of his fellow-prisoners there; don’t you think he would bless himself for the change, and pity them?”
“Yes, indeed.”
“And if there were honours and praises among them and prizes for the one who saw the passing things most sharply and remembered best which of them used to come before and which after and which together, and from these was best able to prophesy accordingly what was going to come—do you believe he would set his desire on that, and envy those who were honoured men, or potentates among them? Would he not feel as Homer says, and heartily desire rather to be serf of some landless man on earth and to endure anything in the world, rather than to opine as they did and to live in that way?”
“Yes indeed,” said he, “he would rather accept anything than live like that.”
“Then again,” I said, “just consider; if such a one should go down again and sit on his old seay, would he not get his eyes full of darkness coming in suddnenly out of the sun?”
“Very much so,” said he.
“And if he should have to compete with those who had been always prisoners, by laying down the law about those shadows while he was blinking before his eyes were settled down—and it would take a good long time to get used to things—would they all laugh at him and say he had spoiled his eyesight by going up there, and it was not worthwhile so much as to try to go up? And would theThen again,” I said, “just consider; if such a one should go down again and sit on his old seay, would he not get his eyes full of darkness coming in suddnenly out of the sun?”
“Very much so,” said he.
“And if he should have to compete with those who had been always prisoners, by laying down the law about those shadows while he was blinking before his eyes were settled down—and it would take a good long time to get used to things—would they all laugh at him and say he had spoiled his eyesight by going up there, and it was not worthwhile so much as to try to go up? And would the not kill anyone who tried to release them and take them up, if they could somehow lay hands on him and kill him?”
“They they would!” said he.
“Then we must apply this image, my dear Glaucon,” said I, “to all we have been saying. The world of our sight is like the habitation in prison, the firelight there to the sunlight here, the ascent and the view of the upper world is the rising of the soul into the world of mind; put it so and you will not be far from my own surmise, since that is what you want to hear; but God knows if it is really true. At least, what appears to me is, that in the world of the known, last of all, is the idea of the good, and with that toil to be seen! And seen, this must be inferred to be the cause of all right and beautiful things for all, which gives birth to light and the kind of light in the world of sight, and, in the world of mind, herself the queen produces truth and reason; and she must be seen by one who is to act with reason publicly or privately.”
“I believe as you do,” he said, “in so far as I am able.”
“Then believe also as I do,” said I, “and do not be surprised that those who come thither are not willing to have part in the affairs of men, but their souls ever strive to remain above; for that surely may be expected if our parable fits the case.”
“Quite so,” he said.
“Well then,” said I, “do you think it surprising if one leaving divine contemplations and passing to the evils of men is awkward and appears to be a great fool, while he is still blinking—not yet accustomed to the darkness around him, but compelled to struggle in law courts or elsewhere about shadows of justice, of images which make the shadows, and to quarrel about notions of justice in those who have never seen justice itself?”