第1592期：每个人都住在柏拉图的洞穴里

“Those who are able to see beyond the shadows and lies of their culture will never be understood, let alone believed, by the masses.” – Plato

苏珊·桑塔格在散文集 On Photography 的开篇提到了一个古老的哲学命题——Plato’s Cave 柏拉图的洞穴。

这个故事是柏拉图在《理想国》（Republic）中记录的，是他的老师苏格拉底（Socrates）讲的。（但是为什么不叫做“苏格拉底洞穴”呢？）

Imagine a number of people living in an underground cave, which has an entrance that opens towards the daylight. The people have been in this dwelling since childhood, shackled by the legs and neck, such that they cannot move nor turn their heads to look around. There is a fire behind them, and between these prisoners and the fire, there is a low wall.

Rather like a shadow puppet play, objects are carried before the fire, from behind the low wall, casting shadows on the wall of the cave for the prisoners to see. Those carrying the objects may be talking, or making noises, or they may be silent. What might the prisoners make of these shadows, of the noises, when they can never turn their heads to see the objects or what is behind them? 

假设在地下一个洞穴里有这样一群人。他们从出生就在这个洞穴里生活，但他们的腿脚和脖子都被固定着，不能扭头，只能永远看着正前方的洞壁。

在他们身后有一堆篝火，所以一切位于他们和篝火之间的活动都被投影在他们前方的洞壁上，像皮影戏那样。

在这种情况下，这群人会如何理解洞壁上的那些活动的画面呢？

他们会以为那就是真实的世界。

直到有一天，他们中的一个人得以离开了洞穴，他看见了洞壁、一群人、篝火的全貌，这才明白自己一生以为的真实世界只是被火光投射到洞壁上的影像。

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对这个故事可以有很多种解读角度，你怎么看？

人为什么要读书，要受教育，要去旅行？就是要挣脱那些绑缚着我们的腿脚和脖子的枷锁，使我们能回头看，扭头看，站起身来，走出山洞，走向真实的世界。

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Reference

https://penlighten.com/platos-allegory-of-cave-meaning-interpretation

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/hide-and-seek/201906/platos-allegory-the-cave