The Allegory of the Cave

In approximately 380 BC, Greek philosopher Plato wrote The Republic, a Socratic dialogue concerning justice and the role of man. The book contains Plato's theory of "forms," an idea based on the belief that "forms" or "ideas" possess a higher reality than the realm of physical sensation.

The "Allegory of the Cave" consists of a conversation between Plato's student, Socrates, and Plato's brother, Glaucon. In the conversation, Socrates describes a cave in which men are imprisoned and fooled by a false reality. Socrates uses the allegory to define the role of the philosopher in society. To Socrates and Plato, philosophers can perceive the true nature of reality.

The false reality in the cave consists of "shadows."

The "shadows" are manipulated by men in power.

Men are kept like prisoners in the "dark," a state of false reality and deception. True reality exists above the cave, a land illuminated by the "sun," which represents the light of truth and higher reality.

To free one's self from the "cave," one must rely upon one's intuition and spiritiuality and free one's self from a reliance on the senses, as physical reality can be manipulated and used to enslave one in state of perpetual ignorance.

Your Task: Imagine that Thoreau attempted to create his own version of the cave allegory to reflect the society and times in which he lived (mid-19th century America). Describe the cave of deception that Thoreau would imagine and post your explanation as a comment on this post. 

• Due by midnight, Wed. 10/30.