Within the Republic there are two more images closely connected to the allegory of the cave; the analogy of the sun and the divided line. Both of these follow Plato argument that knowledge is in itself a power, that of what is. It is only a true philosopher who can access this knowledge as opposed to belief, what is and what is not, and ignorance, what is not (Adamson, 2012). The object of knowledge is distinct from the reality we can see around us, these physical objects are the object of belief (Adamson, 2012). The object of knowledge is forms. Forms are distinct from the physical objects around us as only forms remain unchanged and unaltered. In being unchanging, forms can be universally known, while physical objects change and so can only be the objects of belief, as this may change and so can both be and not be. The analogy of the sun figuratively represents our access and sight of the Good. As the sun illuminates and makes visible the physical world of objects, goodness is able to make clear other perfect ideas and forms such as justice and wisdom. It is only with the virtue of Good that we are able to possess these other perfections. Without the Good then these other virtues may equally enable a person to make bad actions. A man with courage and wisdom may use these traits to his own ends maliciously, it is only with knowledge of the good that these virtues are illuminated to their true, progressive potential. The divided line depicts the separation between belief and knowledge by imagining a line which in divided unevenly into two parts, the top representing the intelligible realm, the bottom representing the sensory realm. Each division is further divided into two unequal parts. The sensory, visible realm is split into actual physical objects, that which non-philosophers take to be true reality, and mere images of physical objects such as the ‘shadows, and the reflections in water and on surfaces of dense, smooth, and bright texture, and everything of that kind’ (Plato citied in Irwin: 138). The intelligible realm represents what we can actually know and is divided into forms and mathematical objects. Forms are accessible to the intellect in a way similar to the process that material objects are accessible to our senses. The idea of forms it self falls into criticism as it seems to be a mere fiction, a there is nothing beyond being. This however takes a simplistic approach to forms, the rejections of forms as understood simply should not reproach the whole of Plato’s ideas, it could be merely a difficultly in explanation and so the idea must be further explored in relation to Plato’s further idea’s before judgement can be passed on it’s relevance and reality.

When the allegory is approached from this stance of forms it would initially seem obvious that the allegory is an explanation of the philosophers assent to knowledge. The escaped prisoner would represent the philosophers leaving the darkness of belief which exists in reality and taking the arduous journey to knowledge through philosophical education. Those without philosophy would be left in the darkness of their reality which merely reflects a small image of the truth and knowledge beyond. The sunlight at the end of the path would be the philosophers understanding of the forms, specifically the form of good. The form of good can be understood as the central form, the form which the philosopher must understand if he is to see the goodness in all other forms (Blackburn, 2007). Physical objects are related to these forms in that they represent a form. The form of beauty, for example, can be represented in many different and varied objects. This form of beauty though is universal and each of these objects which contain beauty are able only to represent a part of it. These forms exist themselves universally outside of space and time and it is these forms which must be accessed in order to have knowledge. This stance in which the allegory represents the philosophers assent into knowledge, although arguably the most widely acknowledge, is also wrought with problems. This stance is primarily very elitist, to claim that only philosophers can know, and only philosophers contain this universal wisdom of the intelligible realm would seem inherently unreasonable. The idea that only philosophers are free from the illusions set in place by society and the physical world while everyone else remains trapped would seem unjust. The allegory does also describe the people within the cave as just like us. Thus, it would seem that Plato would categorise himself as imprisoned in this enforced sudo-reality. So it would seem that, if Plato’s narrative would exclude himself and his teacher Socrates from the status of philosophers with knowledge, them perhaps this was not his intended meaning.



