Plato's Dialogues

Author: Zhang Xiuzhang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-03-01
Features: Now let's consider what would happen if these prisoners were explained and corrected their mistakes. First, when one of them is released and suddenly stands up completely, looks around, takes a few steps, sees the light, and feels extreme discomfort; the light causes him great pain, he finds it more comfortable to see the image than the real light. If someone then tells him that what he had seen before was all illusion and that now he is closer to the true existence, his eyes are directed towards the more real existence, and he has clearer vision, how would he respond? You can further imagine his guide pointing out the objects he has seen and asking him to name them. Wouldn't he be even more confused? Wouldn't he doubt that what he sees now is less clear than the images he saw in the past?