When we start talking about philosophy, it’s hard not to evoke the typical image of the weird uncle: he smells funny and smirks slyly as he speaks, as if he enjoys his own ideas a little too much.
It seems like philosophy is reserved for pedantic gatherings of adults who talk in grandiose ways or for “coven-like” groups of anthropology students who never seem to get full no matter how much food is in the kitchen.
However, this site is designed to help you understand the core subjects in your school curriculum, and assuming you want to ace your exams, let’s contextualize some philosophical concepts to make them easier to digest.
Greek Philosophy as a Starting Point
To begin with the core curriculum, there’s no better place to start than Greece: the cradle of modern Western philosophy and the forerunner of “crossfit bodies.” For the Greeks, philosophy wasn’t an abstract exercise in reflection but a highly practical skill for living and dying better—something like plumbing for reason.
Among all the toga-clad figures of ancient Greece, Plato stands out as one of the most fervent defenders of this idea. His Allegory of the Cave, found in the seventh book of The Republic, is perhaps one of the most important stories for understanding the relationship between philosophy and practical life.
The Allegory of the Cave
The Allegory of the Cave tells the story of a group of people who have lived their entire lives in a dark cave, unaware of the outside world. The only things they can see are shadows projected on the walls, caused by the light of a fire.
The prisoners are fascinated by these shadows of animals, plants, and people, and they assume that these shadows represent reality. They believe that if they observe the shadows closely enough, they will discover the meaning of life.
One day, one of the inhabitants luckily finds a way out of the cave. At first, the sunlight is blinding to his eyes, accustomed to the dimness, but gradually, he begins to distinguish the real forms of what was once only shadows: the colors of birds, the shapes of flowers, and the vastness of the starry sky.
Amazed by this new knowledge, He decides to return to the cave to help the others discover the real world. However, the darkness of the cave makes it hard for him to find their way back, stumbling and staggering. The other inhabitants, upon seeing him, think that leaving the cave has harmed him
.
When he tries to tell them about the sun and the true nature of things, he is considered crazy, mocked, and even plotted against.
Modern Application: Cinema and Social Media
The Allegory of the Cave has inspired countless stories. In cinema, we see clear examples like The Matrix, where Neo is the prototype of the enlightened man, and most people who remain connected to the simulation are the inhabitants of the cave.
Another movie that uses this allegory is The Lego Movie.
The plot of the movie is interesting because Emmet is presented as the chosen one to face Lord Business and his feared Kragle, only to discover at the end that he was just an ordinary inhabitant who unlocked his potential by leaving his cave.
Emmet is the perfect analogy of the common man who discovers, through philosophy, the real world.
If we’re looking for something more recent, Free Guy presents an interesting interpretation: the character played by Ryan Reynolds finds glasses that act as the “sun” that reveals the true nature of his world.
Here’s a list of films that make use of this allegory. Can you explain how?
· The Truman Show
· Room
· Stranger than Fiction
· Interestellar
· Shutter Island
· Ex Machina
· Dogtooth
· They Live
· Wreck-it-Ralph
In real life, there’s no shortage of situations where we can see this allegory. Do you remember the story of Galileo? Remember how he was persecuted by the “holy” inquisition for denying the geocentric model of the universe?
Or what about literature? If you’ve had the chance to read Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, you’ll find another example, and you’ll also enjoy one of the most interesting dystopian stories written in the last century.
But what use is all this knowledge if it’s not applicable to our real lives? After all, the goal of this allegory is practicality in our lives, not just a “did you know…” fact for a Jeopardy question.
Social Media: The Digital Cave
In many ways, social media works like a digital cave. The posts we see are nothing more than carefully projected shadows, a partial and premeditated reality.
Final Reflection: Leaving the Digital Cave
Philosophy doesn’t seek to condemn our modern tools but to promote common sense as the superior virtue. In the face of the “digital circus,” the first step is to recognize that much of what we see is not entirely true. Next, we must translate that reasoning into patience and, finally, into a constructive dialogue with those who still don’t want to leave the cave.
The Socratic method is our best tool: we start from the premise that we don’t know everything, we learn from others, and together, we develop a stronger reasoning.
Let’s do the exercise. What do you think of this allegory? What shadows have you noticed in your daily life? Leave your thoughts in the comments.
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