Allegory Of The Cave Essay

The Allegory of the Cave is a hypothetical scenario, described by Plato, in the form of a conversation between Socrates and Glaucon. Socrates describes the picture of prisoners living in a cave where they have no source of light except for the one provided by the fire. There since birth, the prisoners live in a fixed position, staring at the shadows that are projected onto the walls. The puppeteers walk along a path behind the chained prisoners, each holding different objects. They live in a state of constant prediction, waiting for future shadows to be cast. As the objects reflect into shadows, the prisoners guess what the projections are and what they represent. The conversation reveals Socrates thoughts of human ignorance and the imprisonment

Just as the prisoners represent man and the chains symbolize a higher authority’s control. Socrates explains to Glaucon, “Imagine that along this road, a low wall has been built – like the screen in front of people that is provided by puppeteers, and above which they show their puppets” (514b). In this example, we can see humans as the puppets, a higher power as the puppeteer, and the screen representing the filter or things that we are allowed to see. The higher power has the ability to control what the prisoners see, are exposed to, and ultimately their perception of reality. The symbolic evidence of religion is repetitively seen throughout the

They are not influenced by the foolishness of being concerned with the judgement of others. We see this with Socrates in a previous reading. He was willing to die, rather than conform to act how the city of Athens expected him to behave. In our modern society today, we see that our perception is influenced or controlled by media. In a technological world, we are exposed to manipulated influences, whether intentional or unintentional. Through media, our judgements, our beliefs, our minds, are developed by the constant stimulation of a biased society. The shadows presented to the prisoners may not be reality, but a generalization of what exists on the outside. The media does the same to us. We are only exposed to controlled material, which is presented to motivate us to believe, buy, or participate in a desired