Allegory of the Cave
Essay title: Allegory of the Cave
Allegory of the Cave
When we are shown new types of views or ideas, it allows us to see the world in a new perspective. Given that humans are known to be stubborn, a new perspective or light is good for us whenever to opportunity is there. From Socrates and Plato comes “Allegory of the Cave.” A story that represents the extended metaphor of mankind’s journey, the journey from ignorance to truth.
“Allegory of the Cave” only allowed the prisoners to view shadows and life from a very limited perspective. They are not open to new experiences or sights; just shadows drifting past them as they watch in peace. Because they are so accustomed to this way of life, they have a pleasant, painless acceptance of truth. However, if reality were to be enforced upon them, they then would face the hard, aching ways of life. Once the prisoner climbs out of the cave and is fully immersed in the sun’s rays, Socrates continues to explain the prisoner’s confusion, fear, and blindness to the objects that he never thought to be real. “He will then proceed to argue that this is he who gives the season and the years, and is the guardian of all that is in the visible world, and in a certain way the cause of all things which he and his fellows have been accustomed to behold?” After his eyes adjust to the sunlight, he begins to see items and people in their own existence. Gazing up to the sky and into the sun, the prisoner recognizes them to be the cause of all that is around him. Socrates demonstrates this by declaring, “Last of he will be able to see the sun, and not mere reflections of him in the water, but he will see him in his own proper place, and not in another; and he will contemplate him as he is.” Would the prisoner want to return to the formerly accepted reality of truth, or would he be content with his newly understood perception of reality?
Like Plato’s prisoner, there is a girl living in the world that we as humans experience everyday. The girl, Sophie, finds herself learning and imagining ideas and thoughts that never seemed to cross her mind. In Sophie’s World by Gaarder, Sophie experiences this trapped life, an ordinary human life, full of routine and balance that was somewhat under control. Attending school and bonding with friends and family is the basics of her life as well as our lives today. Never taking that extra question to a deeper level of analysis, she allows herself to get comfortable with this type of living. She is, in fact, very similar to the prisoners in “Allegory of the Cave.” Both characters are trapped in a state where their imprisonment creates a blocked and uninspired type of living. Both are introduced to a new light and realize what they have been missing this entire time. In Sophie’s case, Alberto, a philosopher, saves her from the stage in which she remained. He opened her mind and allowed her to realize how trapped she was in her own content of answers. Eventually through time and teaching, he slowly unchained her from her confinement. When Sophie is discussing her fifteen birthday plans with her mom, her mom simply states how she feels that she hasn’t changed since she was fifteen. Memorably, Sophie replies stating, “You haven’t. Nothing changes. You have just developed, gotten older…(pg. 103)” Startled her mother answers, “Mm… that was a very grownup thing to say. I just think it’s all happened so very quickly (pg. 103).” This moment truly reveals Sophie’s increasing amount of knowledge and understanding as she finds answers to her growing amount of new questions. It does not matter that there may not be single answer to the questions that we ask- asking them is what makes us human. Sophie is then led to amazement and curiosity as this new world opens to her. Much like to the prisoner, a new world was literally shown before her eyes. The instant it opened up to her was when Alberto and Sophie were visiting the philosopher, Berkely and he was explaining to her that Berkeley believed that we exist only in Gods mind. Alberto helped Sophie realize how it compared to their lives because he thinks that they exist only in Albert Knag’s mind, the character that is writing the story. “Sophie’s eyes opened wide with incredulity. Yet at the same time a realization began to dawn on her (pg. 285). Both her and the prisoner never allowing their minds to question, although it makes one think of what we, ourselves, have been achieving our whole life.”… And long before it (child) learns to talk properly- and long before it learns to think philosophically- the world will have become habit (pg. 16).” This statement of Alberto applies to Sophie and the prisoner because of the routine of their life. Except once they are released, only good will come out of it. When