Plato’s Allegory of the Cave is the notion that none of us can truly perceive a world beyond our availability heuristic, which shapes our perception of reality. In simpler terms, Plato imagines that if people are chained in a cave and can only view those shadows, those shadows become their reality. The best pop-cultural manifestation of Plato’s Allegory was The Matrix , where all unfree characters are in a dream-like sleep and have no idea they are living inside a computer programme.
Get breaking news anytime, anywhere. Download the TOI app now!