Knowledge and Perspective
In Plato’s The Republic, chapter VII discusses an allegory through the spoken words of Socrates. Socrates presents a circumstance in which prisoners live in an underground den and are imperceptive to the world above them. These prisoners are chained to face a wall, where shadows are cast from a fire drawn behind them. Shadows become the reality of these prisoners, and they are not able to see the objects that cast them; therefore, the shadows are the only certainty of truth they view. If one of the prisoners hypothetically escapes, the light of the sun in the upper world will cause a distortion of realities.The ascent represents a gaining of knowledge and perception on the meanings behind reason and truth. In this allegory, the vitality of wisdom is presented. If the prisoner were to remember the underground den and return, understanding can be brightened. The knowledge that could be given to the chained prisoners from the escapee is in the soul. Socrates relays this information to the importance of number and calculation in arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, and harmony.
There are countless realms that the human mind has yet to explore. These realms cannot be explored unless humans depart from their conscious being.
In conclusion, there are a variety of complexities that exist within individuals in both past and present societies. These complexities should not bound the human mind from venturing into other realities and exploring new perspectives. Truth can be found through the pursuit of knowledge. This can not only be procured through the study of essential subjects, such as Socrates exclaims, but also through the investigation of the world among us.
Primary Source: http://classics.mit.edu/Plato/republic.8.vii.html
Secondary Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVDaSgyi3xE&feature=emb_title