New Acropolis Toronto

Plato and the Myth of the Cave



Knowing and Walking the Path

Plato's Cave; 25 centuries later, anyone still chained?

"Allegory is harmless, but spiritual meaning can be revolutionary "

Reducing Plato's Cave to a mere allegory is the most effective way to neutralize both its effective truth and revolutionary awakening power, ... to the detriment of humankind. Through the profound teachings of the Cave Plato reveals the path to true freedom and how to walk it.

In our modern times Plato's Cave has been a tremendous inspirational source to many authors through various media. For instance, movies: "Nineteen Eighty-Four"; "The Truman Show"; "The Matrix"; "THX 1138"; "Underground"; "Wall E", and others.

Most of them reinterpreted the allegory under its socio-political aspect. Interesting, but still an allegory. The situation allegorically pictured is already known or knowable another way; the facts and the people remain at the same level of reality.

Plato's Cave is more than allegoric. It is symbolic. A symbol postulates the existence of planes of consciousness and levels of being that vertically superimpose on top of each other. The real meaning of a symbol is to be found in the level that is symbolized and not at the level where stands the appearance of the symbol. In short, to reduce the symbol to its picture boils down to "literalism". To get to the real meaning of the symbol there is just one way: raising the consciousness, passing from one level of being to another level, higher, deeper, lighter.

This is the spiritual frame of Plato's Cave; in fact, of all Plato's teachings. Plato teaches a path of transformation, elevation, metamorphosis, transmutation of the consciousness: a Path to Wisdom. He or she who starts walking it does not stay at the same level; his or her change of being is not allegorical, it is true and real.

The Cave is thus all about the path to fulfillment, for both the individual and the human community, and how to walk it; something that is truly worth rediscovering

Date: Thursday. July 21, 2011.
7:30pm - 9:30pm
Location: Centre for Social Innovation
215 Spadina Avenue
Between Dundas/Queen
Map
Admission: $25 regular / $15 full-time student
Inquiries: Call 416-486-7198