Preliminary remarks on the allegory of the cave

The allegory of the cave is one of the most important and best-known philosophical parables. It was devised by the Greek philosopher Plato (ca. 428 to ca. 348 BC). The allegory of the cave is known as Supplement to Plato's allegory of lines and the allegory of the sun all of which can be found in Plato's extensive complete works "Politeia" are included. The parable of the cave follows the other two parables on which it is based.

However, the allegory of the cave can also be understood on its own and illustrates the difficult and painful path from ignorance to realisation. Furthermore, it illustrates the difficulties and dangers that threaten a person if he wants to bring his new knowledge and realisation of reality closer to others who are still in the dark cave of ignorance and wants to free them from the shackles of deception and the cave of illusions.

It is pointed out, however, that it is a duty and a responsible task towards one's fellow human beings to enlighten others in the cave of ignorance.
The allegory of the cave is usually interpreted as a pictorial explanation that describes the importance and meaning of education and philosophical knowledge as well as the painful endeavours along the way. The parable is embedded in "Politeia", which is the oldest known state philosophy and political utopia in Europe, supplemented by Plato's theory of ideas. The interpretation can therefore also be focussed on other aspects: social and political contexts, the exercise of power and rule and the actions of people in a community.

A considerable part of the parable of the cave, after the actual description of the parable, deals with government and questions of state philosophy. As this part at the end has only a limited connection to the parable itself and is very comprehensive, these considerations are largely omitted here apart from a few key passages.
In Plato's work "Politeia", the good and truth are of great importance, whereby knowledge and realisation are also assigned to the good and equated with the light of the sun. This is also emphasised in the allegory of the cave.

As was customary among ancient Greek philosophers, Plato conveyed his explanations and teachings by means of fictitious conversations or disputes between well-known people. This results in a presentation of a mixture of teaching, drama and storytelling that is strange to us today. We are familiar with similar stylistic devices for conveying knowledge, virtues or other teachings from old European fairy tales or myths and legends. Here, values and teachings are conveyed through actions and conversations - through analogies and allegories.
The fictional lead role carries in the entire Politeia Plato's revered teacher Socrates. He is the colourful main character. Plato wrote the Allegory of the Cave as a detailed and embellished dialogue between his own brother Glaucon and Socrates.

For the sake of comprehensibility and length, the parable is presented here in a somewhat simplified and shortened form and the dialogue form is reduced, as is usual today. In this way, the explanation and the statements it contains can be grasped without detours. Above all, it can be translated much more reliably into different languages than would be possible from the old German version.

* * *

The allegory of the cave

"Compare human nature in relation to education and uneducation with the following state.

Imagine people in an underground cave-like dwelling with an entrance along the entire length of the cave. In this cave, they are bound by the neck and thighs from childhood, so that they remain seated in the same spot and can only look forwards, to the wall opposite the entrance. It is not possible to turn their heads round because of the restraints.

They have light from a fire that burns from a distance in the direction of the exit, above and behind them. A path runs between the fire and the prisoners above. Along this path, a wall is built behind the prisoners, like the wall that the puppeteers place in front of the spectators, over which they perform their puppet tricks.

Now see along this wall people carrying all kinds of things that protrude over the wall, vessels, image pillars and all kinds of other stone and wooden things. Some are talking, others are silent.

How could people trapped in this way see anything of themselves and others other than the shadows cast by the fire on the wall of the cave opposite them if they are forced to keep their heads motionless for the rest of their lives?
When they talked to each other, did they communicate about what they saw and to name what they saw?
And even if their dungeon had an echo from over there, if one of the passers-by spoke, they would think the shadows on the wall were talking.
In any case, these people trapped in this way cannot consider anything other than the shadows on the wall to be the real thing.
If one of these prisoners were freed from his shackles and immediately forced to stand up, turn around, walk and look out of the darkness towards the light, he would always feel pain from the blinding light. And because of the flickering glare, he was unable to clearly recognise those things of which he had previously only seen the shadows.

What would he probably say if someone assured him that up to now he had only seen unreal things in his life, but now he was closer to the real and the existing and could see correctly? And if he now saw the things that had passed by, would this person not be completely confused and have to believe that what he had seen before in his life was possibly more real than what he was being shown now?
And if this person were even forced to look into the light itself, his eyes would probably hurt. And he would want to flee and return to see what he is used to and able to see.

And if someone forcibly dragged him from there through the rough and steep ascent and did not let go until he had brought him to the light of the sun, would he not feel much pain and be reluctant to be dragged? And if he were to reach the blinding light, he would not be able to see anything of the things around him at first.
So he would need to get used to seeing this out here. And first he would recognise shadows most easily, then other things and people. And he would also look at what was in the sky.

And he would prefer to look at the sky itself at night and see the light of the moon and stars rather than the sun and its unfamiliar light during the day. In the end, however, he would probably also be able to look at the sun itself in its own place.
And then he will find out that the sun creates the times and years and everything else and how great its significance is.
And if he now remembers his first home and the little wisdom there and his fellow prisoners at that time, would he consider himself lucky in his present situation?
And if they had honour and praise among themselves there for the one who could best remember the passing shadows on the wall and their details, would he still want to be out here among them and marvel at shadow portraits?
Or will he encounter the Homeric and would he much rather be out in the fields as a day labourer and let everything happen to him than live down there again under such ideas?

Even if such a one were to descend again and sit on his former stool, would not his eyes be full of darkness and his eyesight weak, coming so suddenly from the sun? And if he were to compete again in the scrutiny of those shadows with those who were always trapped there, would they not laugh at him and say of him that he had come back from above with eyes full of darkness? They would mock him when he spoke of the things and the light of the sun, saying that it was not worth trying to get up there and that anyone who tried to loosen them and take them up there would have to be killed if they could be caught."

Excerpts from the parable - Socrates' explanations to Glaucon:

"Equate the ascent and contemplation of the upper things with the ascent of the soul into the realm of knowledge. Only with difficulty will you be able to see the idea of the good. But when you have seen it, you see knowledge as the cause of all that is right and beautiful.
Whoever wants to act rationally, whether in their own or in public affairs, must see the light and the sun, which as the ruler brings forth truth and reason.
If anyone has reason, he should consider that perception can be disturbed by two things: when one is transferred from light to darkness, and when one is transferred from darkness to light."
[...]
"And is it not also natural and necessary, after what has been said so far, that neither the uneducated and ignorant of the truth will properly preside over the state, nor those who are constantly allowed to occupy themselves with the sciences?
And it is incumbent upon the most excellent natures among our inhabitants in the city to seek that knowledge which we set forth above as the greatest, namely to see the good and to make the journey upwards to it. But when they have seen enough up there, they must not be allowed to stay there and not want to return to those prisoners, nor to take part in their fate. Do we want to do them injustice and blame them for living worse, even though they could do better?"
[...]
"So now you must descend again to the dwelling place of the rest and get used to the darkness again with them. In this way you will see a thousand times better than those there, and recognise every shadowy image for what it is and what it is of, because you have seen the beautiful, the good and the righteous for yourselves in truth. And so the state will be administered to us and to you with vigilance and not with dreaming, as most of them are now administered by those who engage in shadowy battles with each other and are divided over supreme power as if it were a great good.
But the truth of the matter is this: the state in which those called to govern have the least desire to govern will necessarily be best and most calmly administered, but the one that has received opposing rulers will also be opposing."
[...]
"If you show those who are to govern a way of life that is better than governing, then you can ensure that the state is well administered. For in such alone will the truly rich reign, who are not rich in gold, but in what the blessed shall be rich: in virtuous and rational living.

But if the hungry and the poor take up public affairs, in the opinion that they must seize good things from there, that will not do. For if the administration becomes something to be fought over, such a domestic and internal war must spoil the belligerents themselves and the rest of the state."