By Emily Fleming
After reading the “Allegory”, written by Plato, I most definitely saw a connection with the analogy in relation to media and media influences in our world today. What we see on billboards, on television, hear on the radio, see on Facebook, or even what we read in textbooks all shape the way we think about and understand certain concepts and ideals in life. At times, it is clear that certain ideas are targeting us and are simply not reality. In other instances, what we experience from media sources mold and shape our views on ourselves, others, and all areas in life without us even noticing. In Pluto’s analogy, much of his message can be juxtaposed to the idea of how essential it is to take what we see and hear with a “grain of salt” if you will, and discourage untruths to shape our realities.
In the “Allegory” Pluto describes a cave where a few people are faces with their heads turned away from the cave opening. It is important to note that they are chained, and are considered prisoners. A fire burns behind them, as puppeteers stand with puppets, creating shadows that cast down where the prisoners can see. All the prisoners can see from where their heads are turned are the shadows and not the puppets casting the shadows. Therefore, what they perceive is all entirely based on the shadows rather what is really controlling it.
This is my illustration (sorry in advance, I am by far no art major here)
Aside from being slightly terrifying, this illustration demonstrates the danger in having a limited perception on realities around us.
For example, when we look at Facebook, it is certain that many fake news articles have flooded the pages of our feed. Recently, this has become so much of an issue that it has impacted our country in great amounts when related to our recent presidential election. According to Caitlin Dewey of The Washington Post, “They (Facebook users) just keep passing stuff around. Nobody fact-checks anything anymore…” These invasions of faulty and not fact-based news sites have shown themselves to people everywhere, and it is imperative that we take responsibility with what is being shown to us and challenge our sources.
If we are not careful, we will only see the shadow and not the puppet itself.
References
Dewey, Caitlin. “Facebook fake-news writer: ‘I think Donald Trump is in the White House because of me’”. The Washington Post.17 November 2016.
Plato. “The Smile of the Cave.” Republic. Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1974. 240-48. Print.
