In “The Republic” Plato uses an allegory (a story) about a dark cave in which most of humanity is enslaved to ignorance. Only those who are able to throw off the chains will escape the cave and attain truth and knowledge. The fortunate few (“philosopher-rulers”) that attain freedom should be the ones to govern the masses.

Interactive exercise. Assistance may be required. View this animation that illustrates Plato’s allegory of the cave, then answer the questions below. Feel free to select the "explore" link to read about other philosophers of Ancient Greece (such as Socrates and Aristotle) and the "challenge" link on this site and learn more about Ancient Greece.