The Plato’s “Leaving the Cave of Ignorance”

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Plato’s Allegory of the Cave presents an excellent metaphor for how easy it is to confuse truth and illusion, and how challenging the path to enlightenment can be. Like the prisoners’ eyes would hurt if they were exposed to the light of day, many people are living with a fear of being exposed to the truth. It can be as painful for some as the light was for the prisoner’s eyes. Instead of being neutral or aiming to find the truth, people commit to beliefs that they either grew up with or chose to adhere to at some point of their lives. Owing to the influence of technology and media, the allegory is relevant to many realms of modern life; however, the question of how impossible it is to leave the modern cave of ignorance is arguable.

While prisoners in the cave had the wall with the shadows (Plato 2), today’s world has the Internet and other mass media platforms, which can be as deceptive as they might seem informative. Such methods are used by journalists, politicians, advertisers, and common Internet users to manipulate people and achieve certain goals. Because all those groups need to form certain public opinions, they often rely on propaganda tools and means of persuasion that do not provide objective and credible information. This fact can be seen as a contemporary illustration of what is reflected in the allegory. Mass deception has become so ingrained in the fabric of society and social interactions, that more and more people start to realize they are living in the era of fake news. Yet, the majority of them still either consciously choose to believe it, or are too easily tricked into believing. The reasons for it may include the lack of training in critical thinking and low education levels in some regions. Enormous amounts of information make it extremely difficult to find the ultimate truth or even consider it possible in the modern reality. However, some individuals attempt to question the facts provided by the media and expose their findings to the public. Almost like Socrates’ prisoner got accustomed to the light and truth (Plato 4), they learn to be less easily persuaded and identify false facts. Similar to him, they may wish to free those who “remain shackled” by fake news and false promises (Plato 6). Although there might always be room for doubt, the skills mentioned above can help to reduce the circulation of false facts or distorted information provided by even the most eminent authorities and individuals of today. Teaching and learning how to do research, analyze, think critically, and inspire others to do the same can improve the overall capacity for critical thought among the population. To conclude, it can be stated that the point Socrates expresses in the allegory is highly relevant today. The widespread use of the Internet has significantly changed the ways people share information, which contributed to the lack of clear evidence that can support it. Weak critical thinking skills and increased susceptibility also play a part in the spread of inaccurate information. In spite of the fact that almost any statement or piece of information can be questioned and considered incorrect, it is still worth trying to gain knowledge that would allow distinguishing “shadows” from reality (Plato 2). Work Cited Plato. The Allegory of the Cave. 2017.

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