What does the fire symbolize in plato's allegory of the cave?

Answer 1

the heirarchy of being and knowledge is reflected on this. The sun represents the absolute good. The Growth represents reality. The light represents the truth, and the visibility represents intelligibility.

In the visible world, they represent common opinion and uncritical impressions. In the intelligible world, they represent the pure understanding and deductive thinking.

Answer 2

ou must not wonder that those who attain to this beatific vision are unwilling to descend to human affairs; for their souls are ever hastening into the upper world where they desire to dwell; which desire of theirs is very natural, if our allegory may be trusted.

Answer 3

The same point that is now universally scientifically recognised, as in Buddhism and other religions; that the world as we perceive it is just an image, a 'shadow' cast by the real world. We perceive discrete objects, but it would be equally accurate to describe it as the interaction of chemicals, the vibration of atoms, or even a quantum froth where even 'existence' only has a shadowy meaning - but all these are just other shadows. The real world cannot be perceived by the senses, or even by modern technology; but is not beyond our reach in other ways. The early Christians described it as 'metanoia', a 'turning around' of the mind (which has, regrettably, since been translated as 'repentance'). Jacob Boehme described it as the 'supersensual life', and, of course, it is the object of meditation (as practised in Buddhism, etc.) and contemplation (as practised in Christianity, and described by the author of 'The cloud of Unknowing', and by others such as St John of the Cross). All address the same issue; that, because we are part of the real world, we have an inbuilt access to the real world, but not as sensory experience - which is why the inhabitant of the cave has to turn around (metanoia again), turn away from sensory experience as the primary source of knowlege about the world, and recognise that one's true existence is not as an object (however attractive and animated) in the equally illusory 'world', but as something prior to this.

Answer 4

That there may be differing reasons for a man not seeing something. That he is just coming into the light - or just coming out of the light.

Answer 5

The fire symbolizes the sun

Answer 6

ok