### 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.