The Allegory of the Cave was a conversation between Socrates (Teacher) and Glaucon (Student) which he gives an example of “how far our nature is enlightened or unenlightened”. Enlightened means the truth and unenlightened means ignorant. Most people settle for how life is and never question if its the truth. An example given by professor Visileiou was have your mother convince your father your not his biological child and see if unconditional love still exist. Granted not the best example but point taken. Most would fear how ones father will react and would prefer to live life living a lie then see how he feels about the situation. We as people are ignorant to the fact that there maybe truth to something other that what we already believe. Upon facing these truths many may be frightened and go back to our old beliefs but if you stick to it and continue to want to know the truth you could face the facts better.
Socrates gave Glaucon an example of human beings throughout there childhood living in a dark den with there legs and neck chained up preventing them from seeing anything but the shadows puppets caused by a distant fire and low wall behind them. By giving this description of how the men are chained and what they are allowed to see Socrates is explaining to us that the shadows are the only thing they know and the only thing they believe in.
“And you may further imagine that his instructor is pointing to the objects as they pass and requiring him to name them, -- will he not be perplexed? Will he not fancy that the shadows which he formerly saw are truer than the objects which are now shown to him? Later when one of the prisoners is freed and he gets to move his neck and see the light almost blinding him as he has never seen direct sunlight he then begins to see reality and his instructor beings pointing out stuff to him that he had only seen as a shadow and always believed it was only a shadow. If put into this situation all your life never knowing or taught anything else you would only believe what your mind is allowing you to see but if given a visual or something to compare it to you could evaluate what is true and what is not. “He will require to grow accustomed to the sight of the upper world.” This quote by Socrates explains that we are blind to what we don't know and if told the truth enough that we will get use to it and accept it.
In conclusion Socrates gave Glaucon this extreme example of men stripped of all knowledge of the world and only giving them one perspective of life which were the shadows. When we are allowed to see the truth and times we are in doubt and we tend to reject what is said to us but if we allow ourselves to accept the truth we can reach for even more answers as the all the great philosophers do. Disbelief is what leads the world to greater wisdom.
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