[Archives] Holo-book Discussion 376.14 15:15 GST
Posted: Sun Jul 08, 2018 9:21 am
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Also, thanks to Sirius who translated the text from Mando'a and, brought this text that was missing from our copy of the book of the same author. Republic
Gehat's Cave
Imagine a cave. Inside the cave are three prisoners. They are tied to rocks, their arms and legs bound and their head locked in place so that they cannot look at anything but the wall in front of them.
These prisoners have been here since their birth; thus they have never seen the outside of the cave. The whole world is a mystery to them.
Behind the prisoners is an ever-burning fire. Between them and the fire, a raised walkway.
People, from outside the cave, walk along this walkway; carrying things on their head. Animals, plants, wood and stone.
So, let's imagine for a moment that we are one of the prisoners. We cannot look at anything behind us or to our side. We can only look at the wall in front of us.
When people walk along the aforementioned walkway, we can see shadows of the objects they are carrying, cast on to the wall.
Our hypothesis is that we are born inside the cave, we had never seen the real objects before. Therefore it is only natural to believe that the shadows of the objects themselves were ‘real.’
Now, let's make another hypothesis.
Let's assume for a moment, that for whatever reason, and through any means, one of the prisoners escapes from their bindings and leaves the cave.
At first, his vision fails him. Being for so many years underground, the light of the world is too much for him. Slowly he grows accustomed to the new conditions.
Seeing for the first time something new, he is 'shocked' at the world and all its wonders. Discovering the outside of the cave he does not believe what he sees can be real.
As he becomes accustomed to the new surroundings, he slowly but assuredly realizes that his former view of reality was wrong all along.
He begins to understand this 'new' world, and sees that a Sun is the main source of life; subsequently going on an intellectual 'journey' where he discovers beauty and meaning.
He slowly realises that his former life, and the shadows of the wall, was but a very crude and cheap imitation of the real thing.
Having learned the truth, the prisoner returns to the cave in an effort to inform the other two prisoners of his findings.
Once more, changing the conditions he is under, it takes time for the prisoner to see in the dark, as his eyes have grown accustomed to the light.
The two prisoners would infer from the returning person's blindness that the journey out of the cave had harmed him in some way and that they should not undertake a similar journey. They do not believe him and threaten to kill him and anyone who tries to set them free.