concept
Plato's Cave
An allegory for living inside an illusion you mistake for reality.
Origin
In Book VII of The Republic, Plato describes prisoners chained inside a cave, watching shadows on a wall and believing the shadows are real. One escapes, sees the outside world, and returns — only to be mocked for what he describes. The allegory is the foundation of Western metaphysics and political philosophy.
Modern usage
Used to describe any system of illusion — propaganda, social media, dogma, the simulation. 'We're all in the cave' is a common move in essays about technology and attention.
Tags
illusion
reality
knowledge