Plato wrote The
Allegory of the Cave using
the Socratic Method, a dialog between a
teacher and
student. It is taken from a larger work entitled the
Republic. Here is a very, very brief summary:
Suppose that there is a group of people who have lived their entire lives
trapped in a cave lit by a large fire behind them. Chained in place, these people can see nothing but
shadows projected on a wall in front of them. They cannot truly comprehend what they see, since they are prevented from grasping its true source and nature.
Now suppose that one of these human beings manages to
break the
chains, climb through the passage, and
escape the cave. With eyes accustomed only to the dim light of the
cave, this individual will at first be blinded by the brightness of the world. But after some time and effort, he will become able to
appreciate the
beauty of the world.
Finally, suppose that this
escapee returns to the cave, trying to persuade the others that there is another, better, real world than the one in the cave. They are unlikely to be impressed by his pleas, especially since, having travelled to the bright surface world, he is now
clumsy in the dim cave.

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