Blog 5: The Symbolic meaning of Socrates’ story

   In Plato’s “The Allegory of the Cave,” Socrates tells a story to his student Glaucon to explain how humans can be trapped and isolated by their surroundings thus preventing them from expanding and exploring other factions of life. Socrates starts the telling Glucon let me show you in a figure how far our nature is enlightened or unenlightened. He is describing the difference between the two and also questioning whether humans really freed from ignorance or not.

   The text continues by Socrates questioning Glaucon. He asks, "Do you see men passing along the wall carrying all sorts of vessels, and statues, and figures of animals made of wood and stone and various materials, which appear over the wall? Some of them are talking, others silent". He is referring to these men as one minded individuals who can only see from my point of view. In turn, it portrays them being in a cave and being held captive to their own bodies.Glaucon responds and tells Socrates that he has shown him a strange image with strange prisoners. Socrates continues to express the notion, like ourselves, they can only see what is in front of them, their shadows. Again, this notion or point illustrates the allegory of this text. To further explain in short, one can not see what is not there.

    Socrates continues the story by telling Glaucon what will happen if a one prisoner is released and is disabused of their error and released from their cave. The released prisoner will be anxious to explore, stand up and look towards these new images. Even when exposed to new things, humans will suffer relating to these new things. Socrates refers to this as a new "light". The released prisoner will react to this new light indifferently and suffer pain in his eyes which can make him turn away but once out, the prisoner can grow accustomed to his surroundings. It shows how difficult it can be to adjust being out of the cave. He continues and states, "Last of all, he will able to see the sun, and not mere reflections of it in the water, but he will see him in his own proper place, and not in another; and he will contemplate him as it is. The symbolism here is that from seeing this new light, one will be able to distinguish these new things and create their own perspectives on them.

      In conclusion, Socrates questions Gluacon on the argument being imprisoned and being free.A human in a cave can be exposed only to what surrounds them which can be repetitive and a human who is free and is exposed to new things. The knowledge outside of the cave can only be retrieved thru effort and when seen, it can change a persons point of view drastically.   

Until next time..