Plato’s Allegory of the Cave: Understanding Property and Knowledge
Plato’s Allegory of the Cave: Property and Knowledge
The theme of Plato’s text is to determine the characteristics of the idea of property, making a distinction between the sensible world (the cave) and the intelligible world (the outside). The idea of property is the cause of everything. There are two types of knowledge: sensible and intelligible. Sensible knowledge provides access to what is right and fair. Intelligible knowledge allows access to intelligence and truth. Intelligible knowledge grants access to the idea of property, which is situated at the end of the path of knowledge. The truth can be known, although the process is difficult and slow.
Interpretation of the Myth of the Cave
The text explains the myth of the cave. The author uses symbols to identify each element of the allegory with his theory of ideas:
- Prison Residence = Sensible World
- Outside of the Cave = World of Ideas
- Sun/Fire = Idea of the Good
Knowledge is described as an ascent toward the good. The text concludes by emphasizing that this idea is the most important, both in the world of ideas and for humans, who need to know it to act with wisdom.
The Significance of the Cave Allegory
Among the many myths Plato wrote in his dialogues, the allegory of the cave is the most famous. It outlines the foundations of his ontology and his theory of knowledge. The cave, where prisoners are held, symbolizes the material world, a world of appearances under constant change (devnir), of which we can only know the shadows that the fire (representing the Sun) projects onto the wall, not the actual objects. We are at the level of perception, and can never achieve universal and necessary knowledge at this level.
The world outside the cave symbolizes the world of ideas: “immaterial, perfect, immutable,” a world of essences that our senses cannot perceive. Only the higher part of the human soul, the immortal rational soul, an intermediary between the two worlds, can come to know them. The idea of good occupies the top of the world of ideas, and knowledge of it is the culmination of knowledge, of the dialectic:
- Since ideas are the essence of what exists in the sensible world and, consequently, are its cause, the idea of good is the cause of all that is straight and beautiful.
- Only when contemplating the idea of good do we reach the highest level of scientific knowledge.
At this level, we are prepared to act with wisdom and, therefore, virtue, both in the private and public spheres.
Contemporary Relevance of Plato’s Ideas
Today, few would admit the existence of that perfect world of essences of which Plato speaks. Only those who hold some religious belief would assume the existence of a “beyond.” Such individuals might admit that the world we live in is mere appearance and that true reality is immaterial and eternal. Nor would many people accept that the summit of science is the knowledge of good.
Science has lost the purely theoretical character it had in antiquity. We are in a technological civilization, in which all aspects of human activity demand the use of some product of technology. Science and technology are closely connected, and the boundaries separating them are blurred. The results of scientific research are assessed primarily by criteria of efficiency and operational capability, and only through them can we judge the truth value of the knowledge involved. The conclusion of the text highlights the need for wisdom and knowledge of good to conduct our moral and political actions. Perhaps this will contribute to our society becoming fairer, less corrupt, and seeking the common good and not just private profit.