The Allegory Of The Cave In The Republic By Plato

In The Republic, Plato presents a dialogue of Socrates, in which he seeks to uncover truths about what constitutes a just society, and what kind of men would rule such a society. Socrates presents an allegory about the freeing effect of education, and how the lack of knowledge affects our nature- the allegory of the cave. While the allegory of the cave presents a basic picture of the prison of man’s ignorance, and his journey out of ignorance, the rich symbolism of the allegory appears in modern works, and can be a useful frame for viewing faith. The symbolism in the allegory of the cave is critical because every element is symbolic of something greater. The first and foremost object in the allegory is the cave itself, “an underground cave with a long entrance open to the light across the whole width of the cave” (Plato, 365). In the allegory the prisoners have been stuck in the cave all their lives -“in this they have been since childhood” (Plato, 365), and because it is their only known reality, it is for them the world: “such persons would certainly believe that there were no realities except those of shadows and handmade things” (Plato, 366). Unambiguously, the cave encompasses unenlightened society, but in a broader sense it symbolizes anything people are trapped in unknowingly. Another critical part of the allegory is the fire. The prisoners who are stuck in the cave are being shown a fake reality using puppets and fire “shadows,

Once the symbolism is understood, significance of the allegory can be readily seen through its use in modern culture and media, and its use in studying spiritual ignorance and development, too. Plato’s allegory is very significant to this day, as we are still imprisoned by ignorance, and at the same time, called to go and make apostles of all