Plato's “Allegory of the Cave” and media's social responsibility

Intro en Español: El siguiente ensayo/artículo trata sobre la alegoría/mito de la caverna de Platón y como puede ser aplicada al rol de los periodistas en la sociedad actual. ¿Tienen los periodistas algún tipo de responsabilidad social dada su formación profesional, en términos prácticos y éticos? En mi opinión, me atrevo a decir que probablemente, Platón habría dicho que sí.

In his “Parable of the Cave,” Plato compares society and the politics of power to a cave, where men understand reality as a mere show composed by shadows casted on a wall. The inhabitants of the cave are tied to their chairs, prevented from looking back or even looking at their peers. Thus, they have a very narrow, fabricated perception of their surroundings and ultimately, their lives. Plato states that “in every way, then, such prisoners would recognize as reality nothing but the shadows of those artificial objects” (MacDonald, 229).


However, Plato also presents the possibility of what would happen if one of the prisoners was freed and/or forced to discover the world outside the cave. The experience itself is described as very traumatic and a harsh awakening to the truth of reality, full of “distress caused by a too sudden passage from darkness to light” (MacDonald, 227). The prisoner would experience pain, confusion, fear and uncertainty, until he could figure out what was real and what was not – until he realized that what he perceived as reality within the cave was nothing else but fabrications.

Nevertheless, Plato encourages the enlightened man to return to the cave, even though his peers would not understand what he experienced outside. The other prisoners would most probably consider him a fool who “had gone up only to come back with his sight ruined,” given that he could not perceive the shadows on the wall in the same manner as they did (MacDonald, 231). Moreover, Plato also suggests that there would be even a physical risk for whoever tried to free more people, due to the fear and panic experienced by the prisoners when they considered having their current understanding and perception of their world altered. Thus, “if they could lay hands on the man who was trying to set them free and lead them up, they would kill him” (MacDonald, 231).



Plato argues that the enlightened prisoner is obligated to return to the cave “to live with the rest and let [his/her] eyes grow accustomed to the darkness” (MacDonald, 234). This probably means that he should have a sense of social responsibility towards his original cave community, where he can play a new role. In other words, as an enlightened man, he ought to come back and live in the darkness with the others, where he “will recognize every image for what it is and know what it represents, because [he had] seen justice, beauty, and goodness in their reality” (MacDonald, 234). Only by coming back and becoming used to the darkness again will he understand what the fabrications in the cave really meant, through which techniques and for which motives his oppressors tied them down to their chairs and blurred their perception of reality. When the enlightened prisoner understands the strings and manipulations behind the puppet show, he acquires a higher level of consciousness and therefore a new desire for knowledge. His/her desires could also go beyond the acquisition of power within the normative standards of the cave, having a genuine interest in the common good of the society he belongs to.



Finally, it could be argued that Plato's allegory aims at paralleling the role and experience of the philosopher who takes a step back from his/her society's conventions and understanding of reality, to realize how many aspects of our lives have been systematically presented and organized for us, without further questioning on our part. Moreover, it could also apply to the politicians and rulers who “live fighting one another about shadows and quarreling for power,” rather than wondering what they are actually fighting for and, if it serves any other interests than their own. Although it is a personal interpretation, the allegory could also be applied to the media and media practitioners in terms of their social responsibility to the communities and clients they serve. In other words, that media practitioners who have an understanding of factors such as communication techniques, the different degrees of influence that certain media can have, media ethics and, journalistic values, have a responsibility to use them for the common good, rather than for selfish, unethical interests. As Plato stated, the enlightened prisoner “sees a thousand times better than those who live [in the cave] always,” having a more accurate perception of reality and ultimately, a broader range of knowledge (MacDonald, 234).

M.J. Soria


Prof. Wasserman at W&L also noted that:
Beyond that, the prisoner did not achieve enlightenment unaided. S/he was led from the cave by other people and was shown the light (educated) by other people. So enlightenment has a social origin, and creates a corresponding obligation to reciprocate. That’s a reason she prisoner must return—to save the city (the cave) from being ruled by the vain and the ambitious, the same people who believe in the reality of the shadows on the wall.

Consulted version of Plato's “The Republic:”
Macdonald Cornford, Francis. The Republic of Plato. London: Oxford Univ. Press, 1977.