Good. Compare the ascent of the person out of the cave and then his descent back into the cave to help to similar narratives in the Bible, like Moses ascending Sinai and then coming down to Israel or Christ ascending Tabor and then coming down into his Passion.
The ascend/descend spiritual journey is both Platonic and Biblical.
Bilbo leaving the Dunedain protected Shire without his handkerchief? Was thinking about how to tie this into the Katerbasis. But also leaving the hell that we were in, and accepting that we must go back to save others? Just cause we descended doesn't mean we won't have to again. Beowulf. Leave the Shire only to be forced to leave it again. Sorry my brain is running.
That is where the metaphor becomes modern. The possibility isn’t that algorithms curate shadows, but that convenience makes us collaborators. The cave survives because familiarity feels safer than illumination.
Provocative. Accessible. Timely. I'M SUBSCRIBING!
I write at The Reflective State—do visit sometime.
Yes. There are jokes that modern man, having found himself in Plato’s Cave, elected to dig deeper - and this is done via our technology that removes us further and further from reality.
I think the interesting part (that has been already mentioned with the ascent and descent thing) is that there is the inherent tension between just “leaving the cave completely” (ditching all social media) and the idea that you must go back into the cave for the others. I have always found it fascinating to question to what degree you have to interact with all of this (everyone here on Substack has already decided, that the answer is not “not at all”) and to what degree you are allowing yourself to sink back into the comfort if the cave while believing it is for the right reasons. I think this is very tricky to figure out in practice
The researchers saw that Democrats are more likely to get offended and write reaction comments on content that doesn't align with their values. So the algorithms actually send them more content that misaligns with their values, to produce this offense and get a reaction. Angrily commenting on a piece is read as high engagement.
Worst, the solution they propose for this problem is for us to have more control over our feeds, so that more of the content we see aligns with our values.
The allegory can be extended. 20th century mass-media were obviously a cave. Civilisation is a cave. Maybe even the evolution of language itself creates a cave. Where the hell can you go to escape from that? I want to go live in the woods...
Reminds me somewhat of Exodus. The comfort of slavery vs the freedom in the desert / wilderness.
Good. Compare the ascent of the person out of the cave and then his descent back into the cave to help to similar narratives in the Bible, like Moses ascending Sinai and then coming down to Israel or Christ ascending Tabor and then coming down into his Passion.
The ascend/descend spiritual journey is both Platonic and Biblical.
Bilbo leaving the Dunedain protected Shire without his handkerchief? Was thinking about how to tie this into the Katerbasis. But also leaving the hell that we were in, and accepting that we must go back to save others? Just cause we descended doesn't mean we won't have to again. Beowulf. Leave the Shire only to be forced to leave it again. Sorry my brain is running.
Doing everything you can to get the Ring to Rivendal, but only to realize it is not over. We must descend again and get it to the fires of Mt. Doom.
I'm in for the read along! This is going to be wonderful 🤝
“You’re not actually shackled to the wall.”
That is where the metaphor becomes modern. The possibility isn’t that algorithms curate shadows, but that convenience makes us collaborators. The cave survives because familiarity feels safer than illumination.
Provocative. Accessible. Timely. I'M SUBSCRIBING!
I write at The Reflective State—do visit sometime.
What a great allegory! Social media is the cave.
Yes. There are jokes that modern man, having found himself in Plato’s Cave, elected to dig deeper - and this is done via our technology that removes us further and further from reality.
So real.
What if we never left it?
For Plato, we are all born inside the Cave, as the Cave represents our ascent from ignorance to true, eternal knowledge.
The perfect analogy for the modern world.
Ah, yes. The algorithm creating the fabulous echo chamber in the cave...some will never escape.
Fascinating. Wise. Relevant from 2000 years ago. What we need now is a modern version of the Athenian Agora.
Unshackle the mind-forged manacles!
Plato's cave. At times, not taught anymore.
Brilliant analogy
Its so important to read authors you don’t agree with and talk with people who are different than you. How else can you CHOOSE your worldview?
I think the interesting part (that has been already mentioned with the ascent and descent thing) is that there is the inherent tension between just “leaving the cave completely” (ditching all social media) and the idea that you must go back into the cave for the others. I have always found it fascinating to question to what degree you have to interact with all of this (everyone here on Substack has already decided, that the answer is not “not at all”) and to what degree you are allowing yourself to sink back into the comfort if the cave while believing it is for the right reasons. I think this is very tricky to figure out in practice
GREAT POST. I've been thinking a lot about how my work as a career writer has meant consigning myself to that cave, voluntarily.
Social media is actually even more insidious than you describe. Check this out (I didn't write it; this is not a promo link): https://theconversation.com/why-social-media-algorithms-send-you-posts-you-dont-like-288792
The researchers saw that Democrats are more likely to get offended and write reaction comments on content that doesn't align with their values. So the algorithms actually send them more content that misaligns with their values, to produce this offense and get a reaction. Angrily commenting on a piece is read as high engagement.
Worst, the solution they propose for this problem is for us to have more control over our feeds, so that more of the content we see aligns with our values.
The allegory can be extended. 20th century mass-media were obviously a cave. Civilisation is a cave. Maybe even the evolution of language itself creates a cave. Where the hell can you go to escape from that? I want to go live in the woods...
Yes.