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Allegory of the Cave 1
Allegory of the Cave

Julie Haire

PHI 103

Grand Canyon University

May 5, 2011

Mr. Terry J. Bovinet, D.Min.

Allegory of the Cave

Plato’s Allegory of the Cave brings about many question compared to Christianity. He depicts a group of prisoners in a cave chained and unable to move. The only thing they can see is shadows cast upon the wall by their guards. The rationalism in this is very confusing but based on Christianity many of us are prisoners of the world we live in and are kept here by the others around us and are unable to see the truth of the word of Christ because of all the illusions of the perfect world we are shown every day. The true path to a great life is through Christ. Does the path leading out of the cave represent the path to God? Plato shows it as a path to the supreme Good which he represents with the sun. He also states that the sun makes the prisoner who escapes turn away at first due to the brightness. “the light of the sun makes him turn his gaze away from it” (Srivastava, S Parg. 4). Could this be the light of God and how strong it is and the faith that it shows us is sometimes hard for us to accept. The prisoners are used to being in a dark cave. Is this what we live in until we find God? Could this be what Plato is showing us? I feel Plato is showing how we all get used to what is around us and seem to forget the real world and life we should be living in. Plato uses his Cave to show that the reality we are all use to and accustomed to is just a sham. It can often be a difficult journey to find God and have him in your life. The chains can represent the evil that holds man back from the path to glory. We all like to believe we are good and the prisoners new no other reality and felt what they see is the truth. They cannot accept that there is something better than the life they live. These evils are what we meant to avoid and to escape from evil. I personally view the prisoner as one


References: Srivatava, S Plato’s Allegory of the Cave Meaning and Interpretation Retrievedon May 6, 2011 from http://www.buzzle.com/articles/platos-allegory-of-the-cave-meaning-and-interpretation.html The Holly Bible, Old and New Testaments King James Version, Romans
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