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Allegory of the Cave
Socrates was a Mac User?


From: Apple Wizards
Thanks to: Erik J. Barzeski

Socrates, as many know, is one of the most famous philosophers to have ever lived. His works have been read for years by college students (including myself), and his theories are discussed to this very day.

In his Republic (transcribed by Plato), Socrates discusses the concept of justice with a group of peers. One of the allegories in this work haunted me. I knew it applied to my life, but how?

Below you will find the Allegory of the Cave, perhaps Socrates' most famous allegory. How does it relate to me or even you? The answer is at the bottom, and as is often the effect of philosophy, perhaps your eyes will open to a new way of thinking.

Yes, it's long, but it's well worth reading... Also keep in mind that it is a dialogue between two people, hence the constant question/answer routine.

Socrates:
And now, I said, let me show in a figure how far our nature is enlightened or unenlightened: Behold! Human beings living in an underground den, which has a mouth open toward the light and reaching all along the den; here they have been from their childhood, and have their legs and necks chained so that they cannot move, and can only see before them, being prevented by the chains from turning round their heads. Above and behind them a fire is blazing at a distance, and between the fire and the prisoners there is a raised way; and you will see, if you look, a low wall built along the way, like the screen which marionette players have in front of them, over which they show the puppets.
Glaucon:
I see.
 
Socrates:
And do you see, I said, men passing along the wall carrying all sorts of vessels, and statues and figures of animals made of wood and stone and various materials, which appear over the wall? Some of them are talking, others silent.
Glaucon:
You have shown me a strange image, and they are strange prisoners.
 
Socrates:
Like ourselves, I replied; and they see only their own shadows, or the shadows of one another, which the fire throws on the opposite wall of the cave?
Glaucon:
True, how could they see anything but the shadows if they were never allowed to move their heads?
 
Socrates:
And of the objects which are being carried in like manner they would only see the shadows?
Glaucon:
Yes.
 
Socrates:
And if they were able to converse with one another, would they not suppose that they were naming what was actually before them?
Glaucon:
Very true.
 
Socrates:
And suppose further that the prison had an echo which came from the other side, would they not be sure to fancy when one of the passersby spoke that the voice which they heard came from the passing shadow?
Glaucon:
No question.
 
Socrates:
To them, the truth would be literally nothing but the shadows of the images.
Glaucon:
That is certain.
 
Socrates:
And now look again, and see what will naturally follow if the prisoners are released and disabused of their error.
 
At first, when any of them is liberated and compelled suddenly to stand up and turn his neck round and walk and look toward the light, he will suffer sharp pains; the glare will distress him, and he will be unable to see the realities of which in his former state he had seen the shadows; and then conceive someone saying to him, that what he saw before was an illusion, but that now, when he is approaching nearer to being and his eye is turned toward more real existence, he has a clearer vision &emdash; what will be his reply?
 
And you may further imagine that his instructor is pointing to the objects as they pass and requiring him to name them &emdash; will he not be perplexed?
 
Will he not fancy that the shadows which he formerly saw are truer than the objects which are now shown to him?
Glaucon:
Far truer.
 
 
Socrates:
If he is compelled to look straight at the light, will he not have a pain in his eyes which will make him turn away to take refuge in the objects of vision which he can see, and which he will conceive to be in reality clearer than the things which are now being shown to him?
Glaucon:
True.
 
Socrates:
And suppose once more, that he is reluctantly dragged up a steep and rugged ascent, and held fast until he is forced into the presence of the sun himself, is he not likely to be pained and irritated?
 
When he approaches the light his eyes will be dazzled, and he will not be able to see anything at all of what are now called realities.
Glaucon:
Not all in a moment.
 
Socrates:
He will require to grow accustomed to the sight of the upper world. And first he will see the shadows best, next the reflections of men and other objects in the water, and then the objects themselves; then he will gaze upon the light of the moon and the stars and the spangled heaven; and he will see the sky and the stars by night better than the sun or the light of the sun by day?
Glaucon:
Certainly.
 
Socrates:
Last of all he will be able to see the sun, and not mere reflections of it in the water, but he will see it in his own proper place, and not in another; and he will contemplate it as it is.
Glaucon:
Certainly.
 
Socrates:
He will then proceed to argue that this is it who makes the seasons and the years, and is the guardian of all that is in the visible world, and in a certain way the cause of all things which he and his fellows have been accustomed to behold?
Glaucon:
Clearly, he would first see the sun and then reason about it.
 
Socrates:
And when he remembered his old habitation, and the wisdom of the den and his fellow-prisoners, do you not suppose that he would felicitate himself on the change, and pity them?
Glaucon:
Certainly, he would.
 
Socrates:
And if they were in the habit of conferring honors among themselves on those who were quickest to observe the passing shadows and to remark which of them went before, and which followed after, and which were together; and who were therefore best able to draw conclusions as to the future, do you think that he would care for such honors and glories, or envy the possessors of them?
 
Would he not say with Homer, "Better to be the poor servant of a poor master, and to endure anything, rather than think as they do and live after their manner?"
Glaucon:
Yes, I think that he would rather suffer anything than entertain these false notions and live in this miserable manner.
 
Socrates:
Imagine once more, I said, such a one coming suddenly out of the sun to be replaced in his old situation; would he not be certain to have his eyes full of darkness?
Glaucon:
To be sure.
 
Socrates:
And if there were a contest, and he had to compete in measuring the shadows with the prisoners who had never moved out of the den, while his sight was still weak, and before his eyes had become steady (and the time which would be needed to acquire this new habit of sight might be very considerable), would he not be ridiculous?
 
Men would say of him that up he went and down he came without his eyes; and that it was better not even to think of ascending; and if anyone tried to loose another and lead him up to the light, let them only catch the offender, and they would put him to death.
Glaucon:
No question.
 

Now, my question to you is this: are not the cave dwellers quite like today's PC users?

Is not the one that has seen the light much like today's Macintosh user (at least from our perspective)?

It seems that way to me, and I invite discussion at:

~ Erik J. Barzeski

Apple Wizards is an excellent e-zine, you should definitely check it out. Special thanks to Erik for allowing me to reprint it -- and to everyone else at Apple Wizards for offering the information to Mac users.

I read this, and am saddened by how little humanity has fundamentally changed in a few thousands years. How far have we grown from nailing men to trees to die of exposure for the audacity of saying that we should nice to one another or that we should tolerate that which is different?

Not only is the allegory true of PC users (who attack that which they do not understand), but I ponder the other segments of our society, or humanity, that must do the same. Man fears what he does not understand -- and men often attack what they fear (little dog syndrome) -- but perception is reality, and none are so blind as those who will not see. We have a large segment of the population who are ignorant about computers or Macs (or many things), and therefor they attack and ridicule those that think differently. (Conformity is the security blanket of the intellectual cowards). Those that are most informed, are also the ones least likely to give in to conformity -- not because of fanaticism (as they are labeled) but because of their understanding. Sadly, once shown the truth, and realizing the fallacies of our prior ignorance, we can never go back - our knowledge dooms us to percieve the world differently as well.

Don't hate those that are ignorant -- pity them. Learn to be patient with them. Understand that many are just intellectual innocents (like children). They need to be slowly exposed to truths that they have not yet fathomed (and weaned from the security given to them by blindly following the masses, without having to think for themselves). They may never get over it in their lives -- but at least you can be satisfied with yourself for making the effort to try to help them... whether they appreciate and understand it or not.

~ David K. Every

Created: 05/27/98
Updated: 11/09/02

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