Plato's Allegory of the Cave Study Questions

1. According to Socrates, what does the Allegory of the Cave represent?

According to Socrates, there are three prisoners trapped inside of a cave. They have been chained there their whole life. The cave represents their own limitations. Shadows are cast on the wall in front of them and that's all they look at every single day. They are made to believe that what they see is real. They know nothing else and even though the shadows are put there on purpose, the prisoners don't know any better.  We reject reality a lot of the time and unless we are shown the right way or the truth (the sun) we will never know what is true.

2. What are the key elements in the imagery used in the allegory?

The prisoners represent our own ignorance. The sun represents the the truth. The shackles and chains represent things holding us back, and the one freed prisoner is supposed to represent a philosopher.

3. What are some things the allegory suggests about the process of enlightenment or education?

The allegory shows that when an opportunity is thrown upon you (the prisoner getting freed) you must be willing to take advantage of it. Sometimes you are not offered that opportunity. Do not be fooled by what you see and believe, and listen to those who have more experience than you.

4. What do the imagery of "shackles" and the "cave" suggest about the perspective of the cave dwellers or prisoners?

The shackles show how the men are technically prisoners. They are chained down and cannot even move their head to turn around. They see only what is in front of them. The cave is like the prison, the home to these people that have complete ignorance.

5. In society today or in your own life, what sorts of things shackle the mind?

In society I think our job shackles the mind. Mainly minimum wage jobs are this way. They use you, turn you into a robot and make it known that you are safe there for the rest of your life. There is no room to grow or expand. They want you in there working for your whole life and hope that you are ignorant enough to stay.

6. Compare the perspective of the freed prisoner with the cave prisoners?

The perspective of the freed prisoner and that of the cave prisoner vary greatly. Those in the cave only see what is presented. The cutouts in front of the fire to create shadows manipulate the cave prisoner. The freed prisoner has seen the sun and therefore knows all. He knows there is more out there than just the cave. He can believe what he wants to believe now.

7. According to the allegory, lack of clarity or intellectual confusion can occur in two distinct ways or contexts. What are they?

Intellectual confusion happened to the freed prisoner when he was released from the shackles. He was not sure what to do or where to go since he had never been anywhere before.

8. According to the allegory, how do cave prisoners get free? What does this suggest about intellectual freedom?

Socrates states that the cave prisoners may only be freed like this: The good fortune to somehow free themselves of their chain; The ability to listen to the freed prisoner and explore the world outside the cave. It is suggested that only by cooperative contemplation combined with individual will and effort that we as people can come to freedom.

9. The allegory presupposes that there is a distinction between appearances and reality. Do you agree? Why or why not?

There is an immense distinction between appearances and reality. Things are not always what they seem, as a matter of fact they are not. The shadows were not what they were portrayed to be and it was all a distortion in appearance. 

10. If Socrates is incorrect in his assumption that there is a distinction between reality and appearances, what are the two alternative metaphysical assumptions?

The alternative to Socrates assumption would be that everything is what it appears to be. Everything is concrete and there were no illusions or trickery.