PLATO

PLATO CAVE – quotes

The Allegory of the Cave
1 Plato realizes that the general run of humankind can think, and speak, etc., without (so far as they acknowledge) any awareness of his realm of Forms.
2 The allegory of the cave is supposed to explain this.

people are chained in a cave, unable to turn their heads. we cannot see reality; people in control are puppeteers

we mistake appearance for reality.

If they could talk to one another, don’t you think they’d suppose that the names they used applied to the things they see passing before them?

What words do we use to categorize reality?

philosopher; prisoner freed from the cave.

shadows on the wall are not reality — don’t see manufactured reality

prison inmates don’t want to live their prison; they know no better life.

we can finally see the sun again.

help other prisoners in cave to see the sunlight!

how to be idealist; utopian; dreamer.

“We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark. The real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.” – Plato

‘be kind; for everyone is fighting a harder battle’