Plato’s “Allegory”: A Description and Analysis

Lastly, this essay will argue that the shared likenesses between Plato’s text and “The Song of the Lord,” provide a solid foundation to claim that this Platonic piece, as well as this religious dialogue, postulate the same ultimate reality. Now, this piece will commence with an overview of both Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave,” as well as the Bhagavad Gita. 1 Unsurprisingly, this domain of what is truly real is eternally abiding, displays reality for what it is, and lacks any chance of alteration, and is anything but fleeting. That is, we readers find in the Gita as well as the seventh book of Plato’s Republic, stories regarding the emergence of humanity from the world of illusion, plagued by transience, ephemeralness, instability, and impermanence, into a realm of ultimate reality. However, does this warrant us readers to claim that both Plato and the fabled Vyasa shared in the same vision of absolute reality? Shortly stated here, this present author will argue that we can, due to the shared outlooks embedded in both seminal works of philosophical genius.Īlthough removed by both time and place, the Hindu text the Bhagavad Gita and Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave,” bare striking similarities. Although surprising to some, we find a similar theme running throughout the Bhagavad Gita as well.

In other words, we find Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave,” expounding the truth of a reality which is everlasting, above and beyond mundane existence, while at the same time ever-present, life-giving, and benevolent. For example, if we examine Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave,” as well as the Bhagavad Gita, we find that both masterpieces illustrate a reality of greater perfection than ordinary, everyday existence. Questions regarding the very foundations of our reality abound throughout the history of world philosophies.

Platos allegory of the cave