1.2.2.4.2 Simile of the Cave
When asked to describe reality Plato gave a simile of a cave.
He imagined a group of travellers sheltering in the cave and sitting around a large fire.
This fire cast shadows of the company on the wall of the cave.
People outside the cave could not see the people inside
but could only see the shadows.
Thus Plato was saying that what we feel by our senses
are just shadows of the real thing.
When we think of a cat, or describe a cat
we are thinking of an approximation
to THE PERFECT CAT
which exists somewhere outside of time and space.