Showing results for "Cave" in Ancient, Classical & Medieval Literature

Plato's Allegory of the Cave is what many believe to be the foundation of Western Philosophy. It addresses what is visible and invisible, seen and observed versus intuited and imagined, and what is public versus private and just versus unjust. It also concerns the meaning and importance of education, the state of the soul, the conflict between truth and beauty, animal urges versus higher aspirations, knowledge versus ignorance, and on and on.

This simplistic and ingenious allegory from one of the fathers of Western philosophy casts light on society’s naiveté and ignorance.

The Allegory of the Cave appears in Plato’s Republic and compares the effect of education and the lack of it on human nature. It is written as a dialogue between Plato's brother and Socrates, who tells of people that have been chained to the wall of a cave their whole lives. They see shadows projected on the wall from objects passing in front of a fire behind them. Socrates explains that the philosopher is like a prisoner who has escaped the cave and realizes that the shadows on the wall are not the true reality at all.

Pankrasio, muzh Leonardy, uezzhaet na neskol'ko dnej v drugoj gorod. Leonarda i ee sluzhanka Kristina prinimajut v jeto vremja svoih ljubovnikov. Neozhidanno vozvrativshis', Pankrasio zastaet veseluju kompaniju na meste prestuplenija. K schast'ju dlja Leonardy, ona prijutila u sebja hitroumnogo studenta. kotoryj pomogaet ej obvesti vokrug pal'ca prostaka Pankrasio…