Plato's Cave Allegory

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10 November 2019

Plato’s Allegory of the Cave: Understanding Reality

Questions about existence and reality have long been the subject of philosophical inquiry. In his Allegory of the Cave, Plato explores the meaning of by contrasting two ways of apprehending reality; the view of those inside the cave and those outside the cave who externally observe that illusion. Although it is clear that those inside the cave are interpreting reality based on the illusion and thus arrive at a distorted view of reality, however, those outside the cave may themselves be part of a bigger cave, without realizing that, and hence have a distorted view as well. It is, therefore, argued that since our perceptions of reality are not always real and different individuals could experience reality differently as a result of their subjective experiences and ontological stance, the view of those outside the cave is closer to reality but may not be the ultimate and objective truth.

One theoretical perspective to understand reality was suggested by Plato, who held the idealist view of reality. For Plato, the ideal nature of an object is more real than its physical reality. So for example, a tree that we see is rather an imperfect instance of its ideal form. In the Allegory of the Cave applies the same theory of forms in a thought experiment. Those unaware of the nature of reality are like prisoners who are shackled in a cave in a manner that they are not able to turn their heads. In the cave, the prisoners are only able to see a wall while a fire burns behind them. A parapet is placed between the prisoners and the fire along which puppeteers can move. The puppeteers hold up puppets behind the prisoners at the parapet which in turn creates a shadow on the cave’s wall. The real objects are the puppets which the prisoners are unable to see, except the echoes and shadows which are cast by the puppets and objects due to the fire CITATION Pla17 \p 9 \l 1033 (Plato, 2017, p. 9). The prisoners now perceive these shadows to be real as a result of being mistaken about their reality. They would not know what really caused the shadows. At this moment, Plato argues, that if a book is moved behind them and thus a shadow of it is cast on the wall, the prisoner would say that he sees a book. However, what he is referring to is not a book but rather a shadow whereas the term they use to describe it is ‘book.' The prisoners, according to Plato would be mistaken because they are making use of the terms that exist in their language to denote a shadow that was cast on the wall instead of referring to the real objects which were casting those shadows CITATION Pla17 \p 11 \l 1033 (Plato, 2017, p. 11). The allegory suggests that the terms we use in our language are not names of the material things that we see but rather of things and objects that we do not see but only grasp through the mind. Unless the prisoners had prior experience, they would mistakenly refer to the shadow as a book, and similarly, the concepts and ideas of reality we acquire through our physical experiences are not always indicative of their fundamental reality.

Individuals experience reality differently and so for Plato, individuals should be careful in making a claim of truth because what they perceive to be the truth could only be shadows. However, for practical purposes, the view formed by the prisoners and the language they use to describe the illusion may itself be an accurate characterization of the reality they are witnessing. Moreover, those outside the cave may not be aware of the inner subjective experiences undergone by the prisoners and thus form a view about them and the events that may not completely capture that experience. Conversely, the view of external or outside observers is based on a relatively ‘true’ knowledge of the essence of the illusion. Their view may be more accurate and the statements that they will use to represent reality may be close to the actual reality since they are aware of the illusion’s essence. However, it is also possible that the external observers unknowingly be part of a larger invisible cave, and thus, may only partially be aware of the actual reality.

The perception of an Individual that develops from how they perceive and make sense of things could differ from how the other person perceives the same thing. In this case, both individuals base their notions on how their senses and minds interpret their interaction with the environment. However, what everyone can agree on is the philosophical idea of 'nothing.' Since it is not possible to think nothing or see nothing, therefore it logically implies there must be something which is real. Even an image can be real, though how we would see one could vary from individual to individual, we do know that the image is real and it is nothing. This leads us to accept that all individuals, in fact, share the same reality, but may perceive it differently. The prisoners and their external observers both share the same reality but experience it differently as a result of their circumstances and subjective experiences. Even though the prisoners can describe their version of the events very accurately, their lack of knowledge and prior experience leads them to form a view that is inconsistent with the external observer’s views.

In conclusion, it is clear that those inside the cave are interpreting reality based on the illusion and thus arrive at a distorted view of reality, however, those outside the cave may themselves be part of a bigger cave, without realizing that, and hence have a distorted view as well. That distorted view could be held with respect to the prisoners, as well as arise from a lack of awareness of the larger reality. The key is to question our perceptions and understanding of existence in order to discover the truth. Plato’s allegory suggests that when the true reality is hidden, then false information and images can be perceived as reality due to our nature. Different individuals could experience reality differently as a result of their subjective experiences as well as an ontological stance which can affect how we perceive reality. To arrive at the truth, we have to think deeply and discover what our reality is and what it means to us.

Works Cited

BIBLIOGRAPHY Dodds, K. (2018, February 6). Questioning Truth, Reality and the Role of Science. Retrieved November 10, 2019, from Quantum Magazine: https://www.quantamagazine.org/questioning-truth-reality-and-the-role-of-science-20180524/

Plato. (2017). The Allegory of the Cave. In The Republic (B. Jowett, Trans.). Los Angeles, CA: Enhanced Media Publishing.

ADDIN ZOTERO_BIBL {"uncited":[],"omitted":[],"custom":[]} CSL_BIBLIOGRAPHY Benitez, Eugenio. “Philosophy, Myth and Plato’s Two-Worlds View.” The European Legacy, vol. 12, no. 2, Apr. 2007, pp. 225–42. Taylor and Francis+NEJM, doi:10.1080/10848770701208400.

Malcolm, J. “The Cave Revisited.” The Classical Quarterly, vol. 31, no. 1, May 1981, pp. 60–68. Cambridge Core, doi:10.1017/S0009838800021078.

Raven, J. E. “Sun, Divided Line, and Cave.” The Classical Quarterly, vol. 3, no. 1/2, 1953, pp. 22–32. JSTOR.