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Das Höhlengleichnis

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Das Höhlengleichnis
Das Höhlengleichnis ist eines der bekanntesten Gleichnisse des antiken griechischen Philosophen Platon (427 v. Chr. bis 347 v. Chr.) aus dem siebten Buch seines Hauptwerkes Politeia (Pol 514a–517a), dessen Abfassung auf das Jahr 370 v. Chr. geschätzt wird. Das Höhlengleichnis dient, wie auch die anderen Lehrbeispiele Platons, bis heute als Standardlehrbeispiel zur Einführung in die Philosophie, genauer hierbei in die Erkenntnistheorie als eine der Hauptsäulen der Philosophie. Platons Lehrer Sokrates verdeutlicht darin dem fiktiven Gesprächspartner Glaukon den Bildungsweg des Philosophen. Eingebettet ist dieses Gleichnis in die Frage Glaukons nach dem Wesen des Guten und in den Kontext der beiden vorhergehenden Gleichnisse, das Sonnengleichnis und das Liniengleichnis, die beide das Verständnis des Höhlengleichnisses vorbereiten.
Inhalt des Gleichnisses [Bearbeiten]
Platon beschreibt einige Menschen, die in einer unterirdischen Höhle von Kindheit an so festgebunden sind, dass sie weder ihre Köpfe noch ihre Körper bewegen und deshalb immer nur auf die ihnen gegenüber liegende Höhlenwand blicken können. Licht haben sie von einem Feuer, das hinter ihnen brennt. Zwischen dem Feuer und ihren Rücken werden Bilder und Gegenstände vorbeigetragen, die Schatten an die Wand werfen. Die „Gefangenen" können nur diese Schatten der Gegenstände sowie ihre eigenen Schatten wahrnehmen. Wenn die Träger der Gegenstände sprechen, hallt es von der Wand so zurück, als ob die Schatten selber sprächen. Da sich die Welt der Gefangenen ausschließlich um diese Schatten dreht, deuten und benennen sie diese, als handelte es sich bei ihnen um die wahre Welt.
Platon (bzw. Sokrates) fragt nun, was passieren würde, wenn man einen Gefangenen befreien und ihn dann zwingen würde, sich umzudrehen. Zunächst würden seine Augen wohl schmerzlich vom Feuer geblendet werden, und die Figuren würden zunächst weniger real erscheinen als zuvor die Schatten an der Wand. Der Gefangene würde wieder zurück an

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