ITHER EACH OTHER NOR THE MOVING PERSONS NOR THE FIRE BEHIND THEM. ALL THAT THE PRISONERS CAN EVER SEE IS THE SHADOWS ON THE WALL IN FRONT OF THEM WHICH ARE PROJECTED AS PERSONS WALK IN FRONT OF THE FIRE. THEY NEVER SEE THE OBJECTS OR THE MEN CARRYING THEM NOR ARE THEY AWARE THAT THE SHADOWS ARE SHADOWS OF OTHER THINGS. THEN THEY SEE A SHADOW AND HEAR A PERSON'S VOICE ECHO FROM THE WALL, THEY ASSUME THAT THE SOUND IS COMING FROM THE SHADOW SINCE THEY ARE NOT AWARE OF THE EXISTENCE OF ANYTHING ELSE. THESE PRISONERS THEN RECOGNIZE AS REALITY ONLY THE SHADOWS FORMED ON THE WALL. (This is us, when knowledge (light), comes to us) WHAT WOULD HAPPEN ASKS PLATO IF ONE OF THESE PRISONERS WERE RELEASED FROM HIS CHAINS, WERE FORCED TO STAND UP, TURN AROUND AND WALK WITH EYES LIFTED UP TOWARD THE LIGHT OF THE FIRE? ALL OF HIS MOVEMENTS WOULD BE EXCEEDINGLY PAINFUL. SUPPOSE HE WERE FORCED TO LOOK AT THE OBJECTS BEING CARRIED, THE SHADOWS OF WHICH HE HAD BECOME ACCUSTOMED TO SEEING ON THE WALL. WOULD HE NOT FIND THESE ACTUAL OBJECTS LESS CONGENIAL TO HIS EYES AND LESS MEANINGFUL, THAN THE SHADOWS? AND WOULD NOT HIS EYES ACHE IF HE LOOKED STRAIGHT AT THE LIGHT FROM THE FIRE ITSELF? AT THIS POINT HE WOULD UNDOUBTEDLY TRY TO ESCAPE FROM HIS LIBERATOR AN TURN BACK TO THE THINGS HE COULD SEE WITH CLARITY, BEING CONVINCED THAT THE SHADOWS WERE CLEARER THAN THE OBJECTS HE WAS FORCED TO LOOK AT IN THE FIRE-LIGHT. SUPPOSE THIS PRISONER COULD NOT TURN BACK, BUT WAS INSTEAD DRAGGED FORCIBLY UP THE STEEP AND ROUGH PASSAGE TO THE MOUTH OF THE CAVE AND OF THE RADIANCE OF THE SUN UPON HIS EYES WOULD BE SO PAINFUL THAT HE WOULD BE UNABLE TO SEE ANY OF THE THINGS THAT HE HAS NOW TOLD WERE REAL. IT WOULD TAKE SOME TIME BEFORE HIS EYES BECAME ACCUSTOMED TO THE WORLD OUTSIDE THE CAVE. HE WOULD FIRST OF ALL RECOGNIZE SOME SHADOWS AND WOULD FEEL AT HOME WITH THEM. IF IT WERE THE SHADOWS OF A MAN, HE WOULD HAVE SEEN THAT SHAPE BEFORE AS IT APPEARED ON THE WALL OF THE CAVE. ...
