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Brian Loseke
Professor Maya Alapin
ENGL 220-023
10 September 2015
Education, Existence, and Plato
During a time over 2,000 years ago perhaps the greatest philosopher of his time, Plato,
composed the allegory of the Cave. During this story Plato describes a scenario in which
enlightenment occurs to a certain being through discovery and education. In this paper I will
discuss why I believe Platos message about education in the allegory of the Cave was that
education is both difficult to attain, and that education allows one to live a more complete
existence.
Close your eyes and imagine a dark, unwelcoming cave. Imagine that you are shackled
in this cave with the only view you have a view of shadows strewn upon the wall in front of you.
You are unable to break free, and are subjected to this situation every hour of every day. This is
the setting for Platos allegory of the cave. During this story Plato describes a scenario in which
enlightenment occurs to a certain being through discovery and education. In this paper I will
discuss why I believe Platos message about education in the allegory of the Cave was that
education is both difficult to attain, and that education allows one to live a more complete
existence.
My new introduction utilizes a scene setter to allow the reader to put themselves in the
cave. It is a more intriguing introduction in my opinion, and gets the reader excited to dig into
the content of the paper. It then transitions into a background of the story, and ultimately ends
with the thesis statement for the paper.

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Platos allegory consists of three main sections: the imprisonment within the confines of
the cave, the escape from the cave and the exploration of the outside world, and the return to the
cave. We know that the allegory represents our nature in respect of education and the lack of it
(Elliott). Each portion of the allegory holds importance to Platos view on education.
During the opening of the allegory prisoners are held within a cave since birth knowing
nothing other than their immediate surroundings. They are shackled with only a view of a wall
in front of them. Behind these prisoners in this cave are a dividing wall, and a fire beyond the
wall. People and objects pass between the fire and prisoners creating shadows that are cast upon
the wall that the prisoners are constantly viewing. The prisoners are able to hear sounds, and are
also able to see the shadows, but are unable to view anything additional. Beyond the wall, up an
incline, is the outside world. This is the real world as humans know it.
After the audience is introduced to the surroundings of the cave, and are given insight
into the prisoners lives and knowledge Plato asks the reader to then envision one of the
prisoners being released from his shackles and dragged up the incline to the outside world. Once
out in the sunlight the freed prisoner wants to return to the darkness and safety of the cave.
However, remaining freed he begins to explore and experience life outside of the cave. His
knowledge base grows, and he soon realizes that the real world exists beyond the cave, and that
the life inside of the cave is a false worlda world with little to no enlightenment or education.
Lastly, Plato asks us to envision the now former slave who has had the ability to learn and
grow return to his former companions that are still chained within the confines of the cave.
Upon the return of the enlightened prisoner he attempts to inform his former companions of the
outside world, of the shadows, and bestow upon them the knowledge that he now possesses.

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However, they are not happy to hear this new information and would rather kill someone giving
them this knowledge than accept it as truth.
All three sections of the allegory of the Cave play an integral part in Platos view on
education. The opening, and the introduction to the cave and the prisoners, is perhaps the most
relevant portion of the allegory explaining why education is difficult to attain, and also that it
creates a more fulfilling existence. The first take away from the opening is that the prisoners are
not living a full life due to their limited surroundings. The dark cave symbolically suggests the
contemporary world of ignorance and the chained people symbolize ignorant people in this
ignorant world (Platos The Allegory of the Cave: Meaning and Interpretation). We can take
away that the darkness represents a lack of knowledge and education, and that the chains
represent a barrier from attaining enlightenment.
Additionally, we can view the cave and outside of the cave as two different worlds all
together. There is a physical barrier separating these two worlds, but between these two
worlds a wall is raised (Platos The Allegory of the Cave: Meaning and Interpretation). This
barrier suggests the difficulty in reaching the outside world and reaching the ability to become
enlightened. The raised wall symbolizes the limitation of our thinking (Platos The Allegory of
the Cave: Meaning and Interpretation).
As we envision the prisoners we can deduce that they are representative of the general
public before individuals make the choice to educate themselves. we can safely assume that
the bound prisoners represent or at least include the multitude (Elliott). As a whole our species
are uneducated from birth and must make a conscious choice to seek education.
This choice to seek an education is, however, often times easier said than done. This is
symbolized in the allegory in numerous ways. No example is clearer than when the prisoner is

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released from his chains and forced into the sunlight. Plato emphasizes the violence of the
procedure to which the freed prisoner is subjected. He is compelled to stand suddenly,
constrained to answer questions about things he cannot clearly see, compelled to look at the
light. Dazzled, he actually returns to the shadows, but is recaptured and dragged forcibly up the
steep and rough ascent. In this short section Plato states three times that the prisoners progress
is painful for him (Elliott). To become educated the prisoner must make the journey out of the
cave, but this change is extremely difficult and painful. It is hard for him to venture beyond his
comfort zone, the cave, to gain enlightenment and education.
When the prisoner first sees the light his eyes feel pain. This symbolically shows us that
to make the step out of your comfort zone, and to educate yourself, can be uncomfortable and
painful. There in the cave, turned to the shadows, he has no inkling of what will happen when
he must see in the light; he has no pain in his eyes, and above all, there amidst the shadows he
moves with that which he is capable of, which demands no great effort of him (Heidegger 27).
It is easier to stay sheltered in ones existence, and what they already know, than to question their
current education level as inadequate. We find comfort in not having to step out into the sunlight
and question that there is more to existence than what we currently know. There amidst the
shadows, in his shackles, he finds his familiar ground, where no exertion is required, where he is
unhindered, where nothing recoils upon him, where there is no confusion, and where everyone is
in agreement (Heidegger 27). The phrase, ignorance is bliss, helps to explain this phenomenon.
As humans we have our comfort levels, and for many of us it is uncomfortable to attempt to
further our educationit is hard.
However, Platos intent isnt to encourage beings to stay unenlightened and remain
content with their current education, or lack thereof. In fact, his intent is to show that once the

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prisoner begins to taste education and enlightenment he realizes that he now has a far richer life
than he even knew existed. if he stays in the outer world, slowly and gradually he begins to
identify everything and he becomes to realize that the outer world is the real world and the cave
is the unreal world (Platos The Allegory of the Cave: Meaning and Interpretation). Education
helps the prisoner to realize what is real, and helps him to realize that what he previously knew
was not real.
The act of being around other educated individuals helped the freed prisoner to become
educated himself. whoever is turned towards the more beingful beings, see and talks more
correctly (Heidegger 26). The more that we surround ourselves with educated individuals the
more likely that our education will also grow.
The prisoner ultimately escapes the cave and in doing so ventures out of his comfort zone
and gains an education and enlightenment. His former companions remain none the wiser and
still only know the shadows and the noises created by the passersby. They both exist, but being
and being is not necessarily the same (Heidegger 25). Although the former prisoner and the
current prisoner both exist they do not exist the same. The former prisoner now has the ability to
continue grow his education and enjoy its benefits, although the path was not easy and will likely
remain difficult. Additionally, the former prisoner will now have the ability to live a more
complete existence in comparison to his former companions because of the education that he has
accumulatedhe can now feel the sunlight, taste wine, and read a classic Plato novel.

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Works Cited
Heidegger, Martin, and Ted Sadler. The Essence Of Truth : On Plato's Cave Allegory And
Theaetetus. New York: Bloomsbury Publishing, 2002. eBook Community College
Collection

(EBSCOhost). Web. 6 Sept. 2015.

Elliott, R. K. (1967). Socrates and plato's cave. Kant-Studien, 58(2), 137. Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com/docview/1294123324?accountid=14613

Platos The Allegory of the Cave: Meaning and Interpretation. Bachelorandmaster.

Bachelorandmaster, n.d. Web. 6 September 2015.