FREE ESSAY ON ALLEGORY OF THE CAVE

ALLEGORY OF THE CAVE

The Allegory of the cave 
The Allegory of the Cave, like most things in philosophy, can be deciphered in many
different ways. It basically says that people are chained to the wall of a cave and they
have nothing to look at but shadows on the wall that are provided by another. This is all
that they know and have never been out of the cave. That tells nothing on the surface,
but once one looks really hard a few messages or meanings can be interpreted from the
Allegory. The main point of the Allegory of the Cave is to give an example of the way
that we all live our lives. Except for a chosen few like Christ, Gandhi and maybe even
Socrates, no one is really enlighten, or has seen what life is all about. The remainder
of the Earth's inhabitants see what we think is reality when actually it is, persay, the
shadows of true reality. 
The Shadow makers represent the opinions makers, or the people that make us look at the
world the way we do. An opinion maker can be anyone, a priest telling you how God wants
you to live, ones parents teach them morals or the television. These shadows make us
think that this is the way to live and that this is what is important in the world. As
stated before, few can break the chains and escape the cave. When they do and find out
what true reality is, most come back and want to spread the truth. In most cases these
people are looked down upon for not conforming or for trying to poison the minds of
others. Look at Christ, he was crucified for trying to teach as was Socrates. 
The main point of the Allegory is to illustrate the way in which we live and show how
what we think is reality merely are shadows. I seem to think there is another meaning to
the Allegory of the Cave. I agree with the interpretations of the story up to a point.
The part where my believes differ is upon leaving the cave. I do believe while on Earth
some do break their chains and escape the cave to see what reality is, however I believe
that we all eventually break the chains some just do it while on Earth. What is meant by
that is in death we break the chains. The Allegory says that it is painful to break the
chains, and in most cases death is not pleasant but painful. Once out of the chains,
there is indecision, what to do, where to go. Only when the sunlight is spotted from the
cave entrance does one know where to go. Again death echoes this same pattern. Many say
after death there is indecision until the bright light draws them toward it. 
The Outside of the cave, the true reality, then is a symbol of heaven. Both represent a
better place, a sort of paradise where things can be more clearly understood. This
interpretation may conflict with an earlier statement that suggests that some break the
chains and become enlightened while on earth but it does not. Those who are lucky enough
to have found true reality while on Earth were the exception. They did not have to die to
find out what others find out after death. Digressing, the cave is an example of the
Earth and the way we live our lives. 
The breaking of the chains represent death in the sense that we break free from our
physical forms and now are an essence that is free to explore new worlds. Heaven is
represented by the outside of the cave. It is what is strived for by all, to escape the
cave and go somewhere better and become something better. The Allegory of the Cave is a
direct comparison to that of the process of dying and accention into heaven. The Allegory
of the Cave is and illustration of the way humans look at the Earth and what we fell is
reality. Most do not escape this warped thinking until death. Few break free and see what
true reality is while on Earth. In both cases however, all of us find out true reality
eventually, some are just gifted enough to have found it while still living.