Plato's Cave

English

Etymology

Described by Plato in the Allegory of the Cave in the Republic.

Proper noun

Plato's Cave

1. (philosophy, epistemology) An allegorical cave whose unwitting, chained inhabitants perceive reality only in the form of shadow puppetry cast by the light of a man-made fire, lacking any awareness of the limitations of their perspective or its constructed nature.

Usage notes

The cave itself is only part of the allegory, which describes the experiences of a person leaving the cave and what lies outside, though the two are sometimes conflated.

Translations

the allegorical cave

• Portuguese: Caverna de Platão f

See also

• the Good