The Cave And Myths

When we speak of human nature, are often mentioned a series of statements that have been installed in our subconscious, through countless appointments charged rhetoric warning about the dangers that surround us, when our search for answers still unsatisfied, we put in the choice of:

Accommodate the concerns to the "status quo" prevailing and accepted as revealed truth which we have passed.

Or out in the open outside the walls, away from the walled city of preconceptions that tries to preserve us from the deadly effects of the world "evil, lonely and sad" from outside.

It seems that according to "authorized" test of the preachers, all you had to know, as was said, what remains for us, which is the discretion of the human will, is the unrestricted submission and obedience.

This is not mentioned at all something new, convoluted result of modern times in which we live, on the contrary, this strategy of domination, has existed ever since the children of God we are called to do hear our opinion, have appeared "purported representatives of divine authority" whose insatiable appetite for power, and its consequent capacity for domination, encourages them to exercise unrighteous dominion over his fellows, either by persuasion misleading, or directly using exercise totalitarian violence.

To help us better understand the high price to pay to achieve certain degree of enlightenment, I suggest you move into the thinking of the great philosophers, possessors of esoteric knowledge of the Kabbalists, those using the available means of communication of his time, used the magic of the written word and language exoteric understood to convey to his intellectual teaching and sharing with his beloved disciples the esoteric message of the signs and symbols, which can be understood only by initiates to receive "hand in hand ".

Whoever wants to know the taste of salt, must necessarily enter it in your mouth and taste it for yourself, nothing would earn any other means, it will only get esoteric image of salt, by no means the knowledge, the esoteric, is that their true flavor.

Then we entered the thinking of Plato and his teachings.

Brief History:

"Plato, probably born in Athens in 427 BC belonged to a noble family and ancestors were distinguished both from their parents like her mother.

Educaciónfísica received the young intellectual of his time, you may have followed the lessons of Horace Cratylus.



In the year 407 came the major event of Plato's life: his encounter with Socrates.

The teacher was then 63 and 20 students.

Plato must follow the lessons of Socrates for eight years.

Shortly after the fall of the Thirty, three whistleblowers accuse Socrates of corrupting the youth and not believing in the gods of the city, condemned to death, refuses to get away and drink the hemlock in 399.

Plato was not present at the last moments of his master, told in the Phaedo, but this outrageous injustice must have been for him the prototype of the wicked act against the repetition of which every philosopher must fight. "

The theme we have chosen to illustrate our article is as follows:

Book VII of The Republic begins with the exposure of the popular myth of the cave, Plato uses as allegorical explanation of the situation in which man finds himself to knowledge.

We read:

"... And then, I went on the next scene compared to the state, with respect to education or the lack thereof, is our nature.

Imagine a sort of cavernous underground shelter provided with a long entrance open to the light, which extends the full width of the cave, and men who are in it since childhood, tied by the legs and neck, so that have to sit still and look only forward, because the bonds prevent them from turning his head, behind them, the light of a fire burning some way off and higher plane, and between the fire and chains, a road located in high along which suppose to have been built a small partition like the screens that stand between the puppeteers and the public, above those which exhibit their wonders.

- I can see - he said.

Well, see now, along the boundary wall, men carrying all sorts of objects whose height exceeds that of the wall, and statues of men and animals made of stone and wood and all kinds of materials, among these carriers will, of course, to be talking about and others who are silent.

What a strange scene depicting said - and what strange prisoners!







Like us - I said, because first, you think that those who are well have seen anything of themselves or their peers but the shadows cast by the fire on the part of the cave in front of them?

As he said, if all their lives have been forced to keep their heads still?

What items carried? Do not have seen the same?

What else will see?

And if they could talk to each other, do not you think they would believe to be referring to those shadows they saw happen?

Perforce.

What if the prison had an echo which came from the front? Do you think that every time you speak any of the passersby, they believe that what was spoke nothing but the shadows they saw happen?

No, by Zeus! - Said.

Then there is no doubt, I said that such will not have to be real more than anything else the shadows of the objects made.

Said is entirely forced.

Review, as I said, what if they were freed from their chains and cured of their ignorance, and if, according to nature, they occur as follows. When one of them was untied and forced to stand back and neck suddenly and walk and look at the light, and when, to do all this, felt pain and, because of the chiribitas, was not able to see those objects whose shadows he saw before, what do you think would respond if someone told you that before I saw only shadows inane and only now, being closer to reality and become the face of real objects, has a more true, and if out showing the objects that pass and forcing him to answer your questions about what each one of them? Do not be confused and think that what he had seen before seem more real than what was shown then?

Much more he said.

And if you forced him to fix his eyes on the light itself, do not you think it would hurt the eyes and to escape, turning to those objects that can contemplate, and consider what they are actually lighter than it shows ?.

So she said.

And if you take away by force - I said, forcing him to travel the rough and steep ascent, and not leave before having dragged into the sunlight, do not you think who would suffer and would be badly drawn, and that, once come to light, would have filled her eyes as she would not be able to see even one of the things we now call true?

No, it would not be able to - he said, at least for now.

Need to get used, I think, to get to see things up. What would be easier, above all, the shadows, then the images of men and other objects reflected in the waters, and later, the objects themselves. And after that it would be easier to contemplate the things of the night sky and the sky itself, fixing his eyes on the light of the stars and moon, day to see the sun and what is his own.

Why not?

And finally, I think, would be the sun, but not their images reflected in the water or anywhere else outside it, but the sun itself in its own domain and as he is in himself, what he would be able to watch and see.

Necessarily he said.

And after this, colegiría from the sun and it is he who produces the seasons and years and governs all the visible region, which is in some way, the author of all those things they saw.

Obviously he said that after that would come to think of it another.

So what? When she remembered his former science room and there and of his former fellow prisoners, do not you think that would be considered happy to have changed and they pity them?

Indeed.

And if there had been among them some honor or praise or rewards each grant those who, with greater penetration to discern the shadows passing and better remember which of them were those who used to front or rear or together with other , were better able than anyone to prophesy, based on this, what would happen, do you think he would feel nostalgic for these things or envy those who enjoyed the honors and powers among them, or what would happen to Homer, that is, strongly prefer to "work the land in the service of another man without property" or suffer any other purpose than to live in that world what you think?

I think so, 'he said, would prefer any other destination before that life.

Now look at this, I said: yes, there may become the low, occupy the same seat again, do not you think that would fill the eyes of darkness, who left suddenly as sunlight?

Certainly, he said.

And if I have to compete again with those who remained constantly chained, opining about those shadows, by failure eyes settled yet, go with difficulty - and it would be short the time needed to get used, do not give to laugh and say it is not that, having risen above the eyes has become damaged, and not even worth trying a similar ascension?

And do not kill, if they found ways to get your hands on and kill him, who tried to untie and make up?

Sure, 'said

Well I said, this image must be applied all of it, O friend Glaucon!, What has been said before, is to compare the region revealed through sight to prison housing, and light the fire that in it, with the power of the sun. As the world rise up and contemplating the things of it, if you compare with the soul's ascent to the intelligible region will miss not about my glimpse, that's what you want to know, and that only god knows if anything is right. Anyway, here's what I think: in the latter intelligible world is perceived, and work is the idea of ​​good, but once perceived, we must infer that she is the cause of all straight and beautiful in all things, that while in the visible light and has spawned the sovereign of this, the intelligible is she the queen and producer of truth and knowledge, and that is force anyone who wants to see proceed wisely in public or private life.

I agree also, he said, to the extent that I can be. "

Depending on the version of J.M. Pabon, M. Fernández Galiano, Institute of Political Studies, Madrid, 1981 (3 rd edition)

Such is the story of Plato, not to dwell adding more details, if you ever decide to break the bonds that keep your neck stiff and out of the chair where you've been trapped, you may discover what you can not tell anyone, lest that you and I enchalequen locked in a hospice, also run the risk that once trapped, you reach for a glass of hemlock, and thought of something, raise your glass and drink and says "For who overcomes me with honor in you. "

Hugo W. Arostegui