Believing in illusion and accepting it as reality - Essay Example

Illusion and the Allegory of the Cave Plato’s Allegory of the Cave as told in The Republic speaks of how human beings are being deceived by illusions, or things that they would believe to be real although these are artificial. The artificial world, which is represented by the shadows in the allegory, may actually refer to anything that is concocted by the media and technology which is actually not true.The media is actually responsible for the creation of stereotypes which the whole world would believe as true.

For example, the media would portray Christians as fanatics and Muslims as terrorists. Moreover, the media can easily give a bad name to anyone or exonerate the guilty, regardless of the truth. Thus, people are fooled and made to believe that whatever the media says is gospel truth.The media is also responsible for inventing false beliefs and prejudices, just like the shadows in the cave in Plato’s allegory. The media preaches racial discrimination, the normality of homosexuality, hatred and other forms of things that put the human being in shackles.

In fact, the sign of bondage is evident in the line, “…and if any one tried to loose another and lead him up to the light, let them only catch the offender, and they would put him to death” (Plato). Thus, it would be hard to disbelieve because if you have a different opinion from the rest, you will naturally be ostracized or even literally put to death.What then do we make of these people who keep on believing the illusions produced by the media? Pitiful. Indeed, as Plato asked Glaucon, “…do you not suppose that he [the discoverer of the sun and the visible world] would felicitate himself on the change, and pity them?

” (Plato). Truly, those who have not seen the truth remain not only in their bondage but also in their misery. Top of FormBottom of FormWorks CitedPlato. “Book VI.” 2009. The Republic. The Internet Classics Archive. 31 Jan 2014.