The allegory of the cave - Platon : CafeDread | Torhoo darknet markets

The allegory of the cave is one of Plato's most famous and important ideas, presented in the Politics (or Politia). Through this allegory, Plato tries to explain the nature of knowledge, reality and human perception.

The allegory describes a group of people who have taken refuge from nature in a dark cave, where they have bound their feet and necks so that they can only see ahead of them. Behind them a fire burns, and between the fire and the captives is a corridor where people and objects pass through, creating shadows on the cave wall.

The bound people only see the shadows of these objects and people and believe that these shadows are reality. If one of them manages to break free and get out of the cave, they will see the real world, the sunlight and the real forms of things. When he returns into the cave and tries to explain the truth to the other captives, they will probably reject him and think he is crazy.

This allegory symbolizes the process of philosophical quest: from ignorance and false perception of reality to true knowledge and enlightenment. Plato argues that most people live in a “cave” of ignorance, seeing only the shadows of real ideas and forms. Philosophy and dialectics is the way to reach the truth and understanding of the higher world of ideas.

In two lines, the allegory of the cave teaches that true knowledge requires us to escape from illusions and seek the truth, which lies beyond our superficial perceptions.