As they look at the wall before them, they believe the shadows of objects cast by the moving

figures are real things—and the only things. Their visible world is their whole world. The
narrative goes on to ponder about what would happen if one of the prisoners were forced to
leave. The narrative assumes the freed prisoner would return and try to liberate their fellow
prisoners, now knowing how much more of the world exists outside the cave. However, in its
conclusion, Socrates and Glaucon agree that the other prisoners would likely kill those who
try to free them, as they would not want to leave the safety and comfort of their known
world.
The main idea of this allegory is the difference between people who simply experience their
sensory experiences, and call that knowledge, and those who understand real knowledge by
seeing the truth.

Kristina Horňáková 3.D