Platos: Allegory of the Cave

Today in class we listened and took notes on a story. It is from Plato's time. So here is the idea of the story. There are prisoners in a cave and they can only see shadows on the opposite wall. They are shackled to the wall across from this tall wall. The wall that they are shackled to is low so that light behind it can come across the top of it. People behind them put puppets and statues so there are shadows on the opposite wall. They can maybe some voices and noises and they have been here their whole lives, this is all they have ever known. They decide to free one prisoner and drag him outside, up a rocky, mountain, and into the sunlight. It was so bright he couldn't see the unhidden. First, he would only be able to see shadows and reflections of people in the water. Then he would be able to see people and things first hand. Then he could look at the moonlight, and then the moon and stars. After that, he could look at the sunlight and sun itself. Then he would learn all these things and how the sun has to do with the seasons and years. His eyes would be opened up to what the real world is like, how it really is, and what goes on in it. The person came back to the cave and was shackled. The person couldn't see for a while for it was just darkness until his eyes adjusted. He told the others what it was really like and they didn't like what he said. They thought he was strange for saying this stuff and they didn't like him for coming back. Then he was killed later for this. I think this story is about how he was in the dark and didn't share his ideas and thoughts. Then he finally let out what he thought to the world and shared his ideas. He was in the sunlight for a while when he was spreading what he thought. Then he was put into darkness because his ideas were different and people didn't want to change what they thought. So they eventually killed him for his ideas. That is when in the story he went back to the cave into darkness and was killed. People don't like change so if you try to change something most people will not accept it.