Out of the Cave
Behind the meaning of light, lies the meaning of your reality. Most often, in philosophical traditions, the light is associated with Truth. In Plato’s allegory of the cave, humans are kept as prisoners in a dark cave without knowing anything about the world outside. The man in the cave goes through four stages of liberation and realization of Truth. First, he becomes aware of his situation in the cave by observing the shadows on the wall in front of the prisoners. Second, he removes the shackles, turns around and sees the fire in the cave that is casting the shadows. Third, he ascends out of the cave towards the light of the Sun. Fourth, the freed prisoner returns to the cave unable to see in the darkness and unable to convey his experience to other prisoners who are still arguing about the shadows.
The third stage is the most elaborate one in Plato’s allegory. Heideger interprets it as ‘the Genuine Liberation of Man to the Primordial Light’ (The Essence of Truth, Page 31). What is this light? What does it stand for in the allegory? It is not the realization that our mundane occupations of everyday life are unreal. That must have happened to you in the first stage. It is not the liberation from shackles of the mind and society. That must have happened to you in the second stage. The light is perceived after the ascent from the cave. Faith and struggle are still needed to get out of the cave. Even after the ascent, more effort is required to adjust the eye to more and more levels of brightness. But seeing the Primordial Light is the ultimate experience in liberation. It is instantly known by the man in the allegory without any further explanation that he has seen the Truth. There is no more doubt, no more pursuing, no more lack of freedom.
