In my opinion, one of the most provocative images crafted by a philosopher is Plato’s Allegory of the Cave. It’s my favorite portion of text to teach high schoolers because it completely shatters the world they think they know. But it also invites the wonder-filled and the bright-eyed, those hungry for more, to dream of an existence that surpasses the best they’ve imagined.
In his image, Plato begins by showing us prisoners bound in a cave. This cave is all the prisoners have ever known, and all they can see in front of them are shadows of distorted physical objects and creatures, never getting to see the source of the shadows themselves, let alone anything outside. These shadows are the prisoners’ whole world–a sad, pitiful, and miserable existence (though, of course, they have no idea just how miserable because they’ve never known anything else).
One day, a prisoner is released and dragged out of the Cave. The man who released him tries to show him the source of the shadows, eventually forcing him into the sunlight and the glorious outdoors. At first, the prisoner is in agony from being exposed to the sun’s light, but as his eyes adjust, he is increasingly blown away by the world unfolding before him. Until he was able to see it with his own eyes, he never could have imagined how beautiful the world could be, nor anticipate the extent to which the goodness of it would take his breath away.
Sometimes I ask my students to imagine a world without sin, evil and wickedness. What if everyone were perfect in their loving and their goodness and never acted selfishly? What if there were no more suffering or hardship or struggle or death?
Inevitably, the students struggle with this thought project. Even if they manage to do so, the result is a pretty boring picture. But this doesn’t surprise me one bit. Why?
Because none of us has ever ‘left the Cave.’
The best things we can possibly imagine are still mere shadows compared with the love, freedom, fulfillment, peace, beauty and goodness that lie in wait for us when the shackles of death are removed from this world and we get to see the gloriously restored and renewed creation as it was always meant to be.
Isn’t it delightful to consider that we can’t even fathom how glorious the new heaven and new earth will be? Any expectations I can have about it will be shattered in the best way possible. I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait to have my breath taken away.
Ashley Carr
Teacher