Illusions In Plato's Allegory Of The Cave

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Plato's Allegory of the Cave, recorded in Book VII of The Republic, written over 2 millenniums ago (c. 380 BCE) is still widely debated and applied to a variety of topics within contemporary society. At the same time we have people indulging themselves in illusionary relationships of fake understanding and bliss. Society, itself, has become to jaded to realize that they are living in illusions and perhaps do not wish to out of fear, but it is possible for some who are willing to break free of these bonds and reach something genuine. In the Plato’s Allegory of the Cave, Plato hopes to construct an analogy between the predicament humanity was and is still in and the state of prisoners imprisoned within a cave and there journey to break free and escape the cave. The prisoners still locked in their shackles represent the masses, the majority of humanity who are not using critically thinking, who are engulfed in illusions of half-truths and lies perpetrated by puppet masters,…show more content…
He asserts that some prisoners will break free from their shackles and begin to see truth but will only be able to see a fragmented version of it at first. As they are slowly exposed and learn more and more truth, which is symbolized by the light they is shining into the cave, they will eventually completely escape the chains which once bound them and reach a state of enlightenment, to become a philosopher. Out of a sense of duty since his shackles was broke and pity for the prisoners still locked in shackles the philosopher will go back into the cave to hope to free the other prisoners and in the process become a philosopher king. According to Plato,
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