Ignorance In Plato's The Allegory Of The Cave

Philosophy, which can be defined as studying the nature and existence of all things, is naturally occuring in the human mind. At sometime or another, most people question their existence, seeking a meaning or a purpose. While many live their lives without finding an answer, there are just as many people who dedicate their lives to finding a meaning. In 399 BCE, Socrates, a brilliant Athenian philosopher, allegedly claimed that “the unexamined life is not worth living”. This quote is one that many modern philosophers live by, as many feel that if you do not question why you are here, you are not living your life to its fullest extent. I would never call myself a philosopher, as I don’t feel I could find or handle the truth; however, I don’t

Within this piece, Plato uses the analogy of men chained up in a cave, who have never been exposed to direct sunlight. The only thing these men see are shadows of figures on the walls, which are a result of a fire located behind them. When one of the men is free from the cave, he becomes able to see more than just shadows, and is able to see the world for what it truly is. He returns to the cave to spread the world of a beautiful world outside, but is met with objections from his ignorant counterparts. This piece represents the mindset of many people today, who refuse to look past the small fraction of the truth they are given, and accept it as the whole truth. The shadows in the cave represent this small part of the truth, or the false truths that we are presented by politicians, our parents, and other powerful figures in our live who can easily influence us. The man who was able to see the outside world, or the whole truth, was eager to share his findings with everyone he knew, believing that knowing the truth would lead to a happier, more fulfilling life. This view completely contrasts that of those still constrained to the cave, who are content with the truth that they know, regardless of whether or not it depicts reality. Through The Allegory of the Cave, we are able to deduce that people who learn to read between the lines and identify the larger picture can be just as happy, and fulfilled, as