Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave”

Abstract

‘Passage’ denotes a portion or section of a written work. It also means “the act or an instance of passing of passing from one place, condition, etc., to another,” yet also “the permission, right, or freedom to pass.” It denotes an opening or entrance through which one may pass, hence a ‘passage way’ is “a way for passing through, or out of something.” Passage can also mean “a voyage by water or air from one point to another”, and “a progress or course, as of events.” Finally, passage also denotes “an interchange of communications, confidences, etc., between persons.” Passage captures much of what we have been describing in our exploration of the relationship between Being and Learning, and it is not surprising to find that the plurality of meaning that flows from this term also captures many of the events which unfold in the multilayered Allegory of the Cave.