Allegory of the Cave by Plato
Allegory of the Cave by Plato“The Allegory of the Cave” in Different Perspectives
“The Allegory of the Cave,” written by Plato, is an interpretation of a
conversation between Socrates, Plato’s mentor, and Glaucon, one of Socrates
students. “The Allegory of the Cave” can be interpreted several different ways.
Imagine men in a cave chained up by their necks and legs, forcing them to only
look forward at a wall. An opening behind them lets the light in. Above the
burning fire and chains, there is a road. Have these chained men ever seen
anything else of themselves or others beyond the cave’s shadows made by the
fire? Some people would say the truth is only perceived by the shadows seen
on the walls of the cave. What if one of these men’s chains were taken off and
he was free to leave? Would the man feel pain when seeing the real world?
Would he be confused on believing what is real? Would it make a difference if
the chained man was briefly educated about what he was going to see first?
Perhaps he would understand and not be confused about what is real. Will the
man think what he saw before was much more real than what he sees now?
Questions like these will bring different opinions and meaning to “The Allegory of
the Cave.” Whose interpretation, if any, is correct when explaining the meaning
of “The Allegory of the Cave”? Does it have mathematical meaning, explain a
vision of the whole world, or is it just a comparison to the field of social work? I
personally feel that “The Allegory of the Cave” is a great explanation of how
people in the world live. People are just like the men chained inside the cave,
people only know and believe what he or she might have seen. Outside of the
cave is the world around us. People are very narrow minded beings, a persons
perception on life is only from their own experiences. When the chained men
are let free is when people finally realize what is going on in the world and not
just what is around them.
“The Allegory of the Cave” can be interpreted with different meanings,
such as Michael O’Leary’s theory of the cave being a place away from the world.
Michael O’Leary believes “The Allegory of the Cave” is Plato’s explanation of the
education of the soul towards enlightenment. He sees it as what happens when
someone is educated to the level of a philosopher (O’Leary). O’Leary also
explains that Plato contends that the men must “go back into the cave” or return
to everyday world of politics, greed, and power struggles. “The Allegory of the
Cave” also attacks people who rely upon, or are slaves to, their senses. The
chains that bind the prisoners are the senses (O’Leary). Even though O’Leary
has a reasonable explanation as to why he believes what he does, which
includes solid evidence, his interpretation may not necessarily be correct....
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