‘For, tell me, do you think our prisoners could see anything...

‘For, tell me, do you think our prisoners could see anything of themselves or their fellows except the shadows thrown by the fire on the wall of the cave opposite them?' ‘How could they see anything else if they were prevented from moving their heads all their lives?' ‘And would they see anything more of the objects carried along the road?' ‘Of course not.' ‘Then if they were able to talk to each other, would they not assume that the shadows they saw were real things?' ‘Inevitably'.

‘And if the wall of their prison opposite them reflected sound, don't you think that they would suppose, whenever one of the passers-by on the road spoke, that the voice belonged to the shadow passing before them?' ‘They would be bound to think so.' ‘And so…