Allegory of the cave story1/29/2024 ![]() In Us, knowledge is ultimately society’s downfall. PLATO’S ALLEGORY OF THE CAVE MEANING Use the allegory to inspire hope Peele took an ancient concept and applied it to real world scenarios, proving there is still much society can learn from Plato’s cave. It’s an intriguing concept in the context of a film about people who literally live underground and are prevented from living a rich, full life. Plato suggests that since the prisoners would likely react violently to someone coming back and telling them of the outside world that it wouldn’t be in one’s best interest to descend back into the cave. There’s an interesting passage within Plato’s cave allegory about descending back down into the cave that we wouldn’t be surprised if it directly influenced Peele's film. This thought experiment plays nicely into the film’s themes of income inequality and how once the lower classes realize how they have been kept down, they will revolt. They saw other people living normal lives, making them angry. Namely, what if the prisoner returned to the cave and all of the other prisoners wanted to follow him out? Us could almost be viewed as an alternative version of the allegory. They have not been “real” for so long, but now, they have come to take their place in the sun. Specifically, how they are the shadows to the regular family. Red also makes several references to shadows. This is a direct reference to the fire in the cave, casting shadows for the prisoners to view. The scene holds many direct correlations with the "Allegory of the Cave." For starters, the tethered family stands in front of a fire, casting shadows on the room. Watch this terrifying scene and see what similarities you can find between it and Plato's cave. That’s the question Jordan Peele poses in his film Us, which is one of the most blatant Plato’s "Allegory of the Cave" examples in film history. What if when they finally recognize the lie, they resort to violent revolution? A person has to recognize everything up until this point in their life has been a lie. There’s something inherently haunting about Plato’s allegory. PLATO’S ALLEGORY OF THE CAVE SUMMARY Use the allegory to emphasize theme You can see how universal it is and how it can be applied to your own film. Let’s examine some very different films and how they all utilize this allegory. You can likely think of plenty of films where a character believes one reality and then becomes exposed to another, greater reality and is never the same. Numerous movies utilize this concept in their plots and themes. But digging deeper, they present unique ideas and themes that we can take with us into the real world. In a literal sense, a movie is just a series of images. The chained prisoners would see this blindness and believe they will be harmed if they try to leave the cave. ![]() Upon his return, he is blinded because his eyes are not accustomed to actual sunlight. He would try to return to free the other prisoners. This prisoner would believe the outside world is so much more real than that in the cave. This prisoner could escape from the cave and discover there is a whole new world outside they were previously unaware of. He finally sees the fire and realizes the shadows are fake. Plato posits that one prisoner could become free. The prisoners watch these shadows, believing this to be their reality as they've known nothing else. Behind the prisoners is a fire, and between the fire and the prisoners are people carrying puppets or other objects. The allegory begins with prisoners who have lived their entire lives chained inside a cave. Plato’s "Allegory of the Cave" is a concept devised by the philosopher to ruminate on the nature of belief versus knowledge. You can contribute through PayPal, Patreon, Venmo and Crypto.Allegory of the Cave Meaning What is the Allegory of the Cave? It’s hard to rely 100% on ads, and your contributions will help us continue providing the best free cultural and educational materials to learners everywhere. If you would like to support the mission of Open Culture, consider making a donation to our site. If you would like to sign up for Open Culture’s free email newsletter, please find it here. Big thanks to Eren at FilmAnnex for sending this one our way. And, above, some clever artists provide an award-winning animation of the cave scene using nothing other than clay. Known as the “allegory of the cave,” this passage lets Plato offer commentary about the nature of reality and human understanding. In an episode of Philosophy Bites, Simon Blackburn (Cambridge University) talks with Nigel Warburton and David Edmonds about what Plato really wants to say here. They can only see manipulated shadows on walls, and that’s about all. Imagine prisoners shackled in a cave, their heads chained in such a way they can’t look out into the world itself. In Book VII of The Republic, Plato paints a dark scene for readers.
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