Studying Esotericism in a Brave New World (Sasha Chaitow)

Interest in the Western Esoteric Traditions is blooming, dozens of books, courses, workshops and other events being dedicated to their exploration and celebration. Western Esotericism has become established as an academic field in its own right, with three Chairs in European universities and numerous other courses in European and American academic institutions. 

Yet there is a dissonance between the academic, the philosophical and the practical approaches to these topics: the intellectual approach is often considered overly restrictive by practitioners and theorists more intimately involved with esoteric paths; the practical approach often frowned on by scholars who may consider it too close an involvement which does not permit objective and academically acceptable study. Meanwhile, both approaches continue to bemuse the general public and a key frequently asked question continues to be “Yes, but what’s the purpose of studying these topics?” 

Moving past possible responses citing self-awareness and inner growth, it is becoming increasingly clear that the modern rediscovery of these subjects has burgeoned in response to a growing social need for alternatives to tried, tested, and failed approaches to critical social and cultural questions. 

Following a brief outline of the various perspectives on these topics, I will address the questions of why the academic perspective is valuable to practitioners and society alike, why the scholarly approach should develop a more open understanding of the practical solutions offered by esoteric traditions, and most importantly what these traditions can offer society itself.

The Gnostic Researcher (Angela Voss)

I am interested in exploring the question of ‘esoteric’ knowledge from the perspective of the integration and balancing of two modes of perception and understanding, which the traditions name ‘divine and human’. The idea that there are two complementary ‘eyes’ through which we see the world is expressed in different ways, but esoteric philosophers all point to the necessity of bringing these eyes into a mutually beneficial relationship if humans are to progress in self-knowledge and spiritual insight. For Ibn ‘Arabi they are the eyes of reason and revelation, for Ficino the eyes of innate and infused knowledge, and in contemporary neuroscientific language, the eyes of the left and right brain hemispheres. In this short presentation I will suggest that the researcher and teacher can inspire students and readers by writing and teaching from a unitive perspective, which uses the tools of the rational mind to clarify, interpret and articulate the deeply religious and intuitive insights which arise through a metaphoric and symbolic sense of meaning, a sense which is intrinsic to esoteric and initiatory texts and images. Is this, however, too much to ask of scholars of esotericism or religion? Should research embrace imagination, experience and transformative dimensions, or attempt objectivity and detachment? Can or should scholarship itself constitute a spiritual path? These are just some of the questions which we can raise for discussion.

Divination in Real Life (Geoffrey Cornelius)

Divinatory practice can be anything from an openness to signs, synchronicities and omens to formal procedures such as the use of Tarot cards, I Ching and horoscopes. The foundation of such knowledge is veiled in mystery, and its revelation carries a life-transforming potential, yet these methods start from and return to practical human questions and the here-and-now of everyday life.

Magic, Madness, and Poetry: A Brief Exploration of Language (Simon Magus)

Why do some people become magicians and mystics whilst others become ‘mad’? Why do some people, to paraphrase the words of William James, find ‘the place of seraphs’ whilst others find ‘the place of snakes’? In this brief talk, Simon will examine the similarity of the magical and the paranoid mind sets, and some of the reasons for apparent differences in terms of the history of psychiatry and how these concepts are framed in language. He will briefly explore the concept of schizotypy in relation to esotericism, and the oft mentioned links between poetry, madness and creativity in general.

Science and Esotericism: Friends, Relatives, Enemies or Strangers? (Orlando Fernandez)

It is nowadays well understood that many of the founders of modern science were deeply involved with the esoteric, not only from a purely philosophical point of view, but as a living practice. The fact that the esoteric has been more than a passing influence on the work of major scientific figures like Isaac Newton, Robert Boyle, Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz and others, has been clearly shown by modern scholarship. But the relationship of esotericism and science does not end with the Baroque, it continued during the Classical and the Romantic periods, when science became the dominant form of thought in the West.

Furthermore, this relationship has continued until the present, as demonstrated by the example of David Bohm who was not only a great physicist, but who played an important role in some esoteric organizations.

This talk is a short exploration of the rich relationship between science and esotericism and a meditation on its meaning.

Sasha Chaitow is currently conducting doctoral research in Western Esotericism at the University of Exeter. She holds an MA in Western Esotericism (EXESESO, Exeter, 2008) and an MA in English Literature (Indianapolis-Athens, 2004). Her current area of study focuses on the French Occult Revival and French Symbolism in the 19^thcentury, and her MA thesis (awarded with distinction) focused on the alchemical emblems in Michael Maier’s Atalanta Fugiens.

Sasha is the founding director of Phoenix Rising Academy of Esoteric Studies and Creative Arts, (London and Athens), an independent academic institution for the promotion of the Academic Study of Western Esotericism and Art. Her research interests include art and esotericism, mind and consciousness, ritual and initiation, and Greek esoteric history. She writes for academic journals, the Greek journals Avaton and Fainomena, and is an experienced speaker in both academic and public fora. For more see: http://www.phoenixrising.org.gr/en/academy/teachers/sasha-chaitow/ .

Angela Voss Since 2000 I have been teaching at the University of Kent, at first for the MA in the Study of Mysticism and Religious Experience, out of which emerged the MA in the Cultural Study of Cosmology and Divination in 2006. The MA has focussed on divinatory theory and practice, symbolic interpretation, the function of the imagination as a mode of knowledge and traditional cosmology. I have published numerous papers on Ficino, as well as an edited collection of his astrological writingsfor North Atlantic Books, Western Esoteric Masters series. I am now moving into the territory of symbolism and the imaginal, exploring the erotic life of statues, Life between lives and past-life therapy, ancient Greek mysteries and the metaphysics of divination. For the MA programme at Kent I have been offering modules on The Imaginal Cosmos and Cosmology and the Arts, which investigate the Platonic cosmos, neoplatonic theurgy, Renaissance astrology and magic, the nature of the symbol, Corbin and the mundus imaginalis, mystery initiation and the cosmic dimensions of music and literature. For more see:http://phoenixrising.org.gr/en/academy/teachers/angela-voss/

Orlando Fernandez

In addition to his interest in the esoteric, Orlando has a keen interest in science and mathematics. He completed his bachelor degree in Mathematics and Physics at the Faculty of Sciences of the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (UNAM). After graduating he emigrated to France where he obtained his DEA in Mathematical Physics from the Université de Paris, where his research focused on mathematical aspects of Quantum Mechanics. In 1998 he moved to the UK where he continued his scientific studies at King’s College, London.

During his time in France and the UK he remained involved with several esoteric organizations. At a London meeting of the Theosophical Society Orlando first encountered the academic study of Western Esotericism and so embarked on the EXESESO MA in Western Esotericism at the University of Exeter, from which he successfully graduated in 2007.

Orlando’s scientific background and lifelong involvement with esotericism led him to pursue doctoral research at EXESESO bridging the two, and he is presently finishing a PhD dissertation about the esoteric influences on the Ontological Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics proposed by the American physicist David Bohm. Orlando lives in Cambridge, UK.

Geoffrey Cornelius

Geoffrey Cornelius has over many years undertaken the study of contemporary Western spirituality and divinatory practice, arguing for the appropriateness of academic exchange and discourse in these areas. His main area of divinatory interest and practice is astrology, but he has also studied New Age trends in Tarot and its adoption of I Ching, the classical Chinese oracle.

His approach is informed by a wide range of reading in ancient and modern philosophy, psychoanalytic thought, and anthropology. Dr. Cornelius has practised and taught astrology for many years. He has taught at Masters level on astrological and divinatory practice and theory at the University of Kent between 2003 and 2010, and has a Ph.D. from Kent on the hermeneutics of divination. For more see: http://www.phoenixrising.org.gr/en/academy/teachers/dr-geoffrey-cornelius/

Simon Magus

Dr Simon Magus BSc.(Hons), MB BS, MA is a psychiatrist with a special interest in Forensic and Intensive care Psychiatry. He studied medicine in London at Charing Cross and Westminster Medical School, now part of the Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine.

He qualified in Medicine in 1990 having also obtained a first class honours degree in Anatomy, majoring in Neuroanatomy. His Bsc. dissertation was on three-dimensional computer graphics in Anatomy teaching. After qualifying, he taught Anatomy as the Royal College Prosector to the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, and as an associate lecturer in Anatomy and Embryology at the University of Glasgow. After following a surgical path, he changed to psychiatry in 1996.

Simon’s interest in esotericism predates his medical studies by a number of years. When it became available, he studied for and completed the MA in Western Esotericism at EXESESO, The University of Exeter in 2008. His thesis was entitled Austin Osman Spare and the Conquest of the Imaginal: Paranoia, Metanoia and Phronesis of the Magical Mind.

He is interested in the interplay of descriptive psychopathology and the phenomenology of magical praxis, and spirituality and psychosis. During his MA studies he developed broad perspectives in esotericism on subjects including alchemy and its transmission to the Latin west, Hermeticism and Renaissance Kabbalah. His specialist field of enquiry now centres on Victorian and Edwardian occultism, and he is currently reading for a PHD at Exeter on esoteric influences in the life and work of H. Rider Haggard.

Phoenix Rising: Death and Renaissance in Philosophy, Art, and Literature 

A Dying Society, or a Renaissance for the 21st Century? 

CONFERENCE REVIEW

The 1st International Phoenix Rising Conference had several objectives, first and foremost of which was to explore the conference question, being the extent to which ancient philosophies, esoteric traditions, and the vehicle of the arts, can offer insights and directions towards what might be termed a Renaissance for the 21^st century in light of the crises facing Western civilization on multiple levels. A further objective related to the discussion of aspects of methodology, approach, and apparently, purpose, in the scholarship of these fields, particularly with respect to the field of academic study of Western Esotericism as well as the role and state of the humanities in Western Universities. Thirdly, the conference was intended to open a dialogue between Greek and visiting scholars with the aim of introducing and eventually establishing such studies in Greece according to international standards.

As conference director I am pleased to say that all three objectives were achieved successfully and that feedback thus far seems to indicate that all participants – speakers and audience – went away with much food for thought and further discussion. Attendance was overwhelming – over 300 individual participants registered at the conference over the two days, while the afternoon sessions were particularly well-attended.

The conference programme was organized around four broad thematic areas: Classical and modern philosophy in relation to the foundations of civilization and potential approaches which could act as the underpinning for a new Renaissance, Esoteric traditions and what they could contribute to such an end, the arts as a vehicle or lens through which such ideas can and have been transmitted, and practical considerations relating to the same question. The four plenary sessions delivered by Dr. Arthur Versluis, Dr. Scott Olsen, Julia Cleave and Dr. Alan Cardew respectively, were arranged along the same sequence.

Presentations

Dr. Arthur Versluis of Michigan State University delivered the opening plenary session, in which he discussed the phenomena and factors which can or may lead to cultural emergence. He raised many important questions, some of which remain open, with regard to the ways in which our respective fields can contribute to such a phenomenon, and stressing the current state of the humanities and their lack of provision for anything resembling cultural evolution. Arguing for a reexamination of the Platonic tradition whereby the dualism that has led to the current cultural collapse is reconciled, he left an open question deserving of further discussion; regarding the extent to which the educational system per se can no longer offer the cultural rebirth so desperately needed, and what alternative options the Platonic academic tradition can offer.

The first panel began with Dr David Fideler’s paper, which examined the classical idea of living nature and the World Soul, how it reemerged in the Florentine Renaissance, went into eclipse with the mechanistic worldview of the Scientific Revolution, and how it is now reemerging through contemporary scientific discoveries. Fideler argued that Renaissance and cultural renewal can only occur when culture is “situated in a living cosmopolis,” because human creativity is rooted in, and needs to participate in, the deeper creative energies of the world fabric. Therefore, cultural recognition of, and access to, the energies of the living universe establishes a necessary “foundation for Renaissance”; and the breakdown of the mechanistic worldview is a needed precondition for cultural renewal and renaissance, though not a guarantee of it.

Vincent McEvilly delivered a complex discussion regarding realism and reality comparing the sustainability and practicality of the individual experience embedded within a wider metaphysical narrative, as opposed to the individual understanding of archetypal experiences in terms of modern reality, while exploring the extent to which traditional esoteric universalism is sustainable in a modern setting.

Sander Kalverda crossed the boundaries between religion and philosophy in his discussion of the angelic potential of man as per Neoplatonic traditions. Delineating the emerging academic approaches to these topics, he proposed that the emerging study of esoteric belief systems can shed light on our spiritual makeup in modern terms so as to counterbalance our hitherto finite approach to spirituality.

Dr Stanley Sfekas delved into the intricacies of process theology according to Bergsonian and Whiteheadean formulations regarding the theological problems of the “omnipotence” debate, and proposing an evolutionary model of theology which can better explain and underpin the emerging currents of our time. Such an approach can not only resolve theological dualities and inconsistencies, but also serve as a metaphysic of a novel theology whose ontological commitments are consistent with evolution, emergentism, and quantum theory, thus providing an approach consistent with the concerns of our time.

Dr Scott Olsen delivered the second plenary presentation, which took the audience through a wide range of philosophical areas regarding the infinite possibilities and potentials for the expansion of human consciousness, as well as the inherent dangers and responsibilities that accompany such practices and experiences. He raised the loaded question as to the extent to which philosophers and those who have for themselves experienced elevated states of consciousness also have a responsibility towards culture and society, and discussed numerous personal experiences alongside scientific evidence to propose a close reexamination of such knowledge with a view to a new approach to consciousness.

Thomas Karlsson of Stockholm University was the first panelist to present on esoteric traditions with regard to the conference question. Tracing the influences, effects and potential of the Perennial Philosophy, he discussed the case of Johannes Bureus, a 17^th century Swedish swcholar who formed his own brand of syncretic esotericism combining the Kabbalah of Pico della Mirandola and Reuchlin with Norse runic traditions, to form his own brand of “Gothic Kabbalah”. He then traced the influences of this, and other syncretic systems in the later evolution of occult and esoteric orders, demonstrating the potential such syncretic developments can offer to esoteric thought.

Leandros Lefakis gave a lively and moving presentation on the archetypal interplay between scientific rationalism and esoteric tradition as found in Masonic philosophy, proposing that Freemasonry’s inherent lack of division between scientific and esoteric thought provides a constructive model for the integration of these polarized aspects of modern thought into a new and dynamic worldview that can liberate consciousness and provide a roadmap for the modern age.

Derek Bain explored the psychology of ritual and function of non-dogmatism as found in Masonic philosophy, and the ways in which it can facilitate the development of anagogical thought. Citing Neuro-Linguistic Programming techniques and live examples from Masonic tradition and ritual, he demonstrated the ways in which is effected, thus proposing that as an approach it can be utilized on a wider scale to promote moral behaviour, ontological change, and spiritual evolution, all of which are conducive to the objective of a social and spiritual renaissance far from the limitations of dogmatism.

As third plenary speaker, Julia Cleavepresented an in-depth analysis of a work by Nicholas Poussin: “The Birth of Bacchus”. Following an exploration of the mythological sources of his work, she explained the theurgic basis of his choice of symbolism and the potentials it implies in terms of its relationship to the Mysteries and the appeal it makes to the imagination, thus suggesting the way in which Poussin’s and similar works can offer a springboard for the “radical re-visioning of the relationship between Man, Nature and Cosmos” so necessary in our time.

Hereward Tilton delivered a captivating presentation regarding the inherent aspect of “inspired” and experiential knowledge in esoteric currents, and its exclusion not only within the historical context of social and religious conflict, but also within the modern academic approach. Citing numerous examples and philosophical precedents from a perspective of Protestant and Enlightened polemics (among many), he delivered a significant and timely argument for the inclusion and reexamination of this intrinsic component of esoteric currents in the face of postmodern deconstruction.

Niki Stavrou gave an entrancing delivery on the Heroic archetype as found in the work of Greek poet-philosopher Nikos Kazantzakis, possibly the most significant Greek literary figure of the 20^th century. Tracing Kazantzakis’ portrayal of this Promethean figure in many of his works, most notably his “Odyssey: A Modern Sequel,” she eloquently delineated his call for spiritual revolution and human empowerment in true Promethean spirit, positing it as a timeless message particularly appropriate to our current predicament.

In his presentation entitled “The Tomb and the Theatre,” Iordanis Poulkouras traced these two related motifs, their symbolism and significance, from the Mysteries, through the esoteric traditions, to their modern signification. By exploring their significance as symbols and processes – from the theatrics of ritual and of everyday interaction to the symbolic tomb of initiation to the inexorable weight of our own mortality, he demonstrated their value in establishing the responsibility all men bear with regard to self-knowledge and reestablishment of core values.

Sasha Chaitow presented a “self-termed” experiment, in which she presented and discussed her own artwork in terms of the emblematic worldview that characterized the Renaissance. Drawing on the concepts behind Michael Maier’s emblematic work, she presented a series of paintings designed as a visual narrative that essentially described the Gnostic problem – and Hermetic/Promethean solution – while positing that provocation of the imagination through visual imagery which bypasses the analytical processes of the mind may be a valuable tool with which to spark a new “way of seeing” which, if conceived of and reexamined today, may be a valuable counterweight to the linear and shallow approach to the world around us.

Dr. Alan Cardew, the final plenary speaker, gave an impassioned presentation illustrated by historical examples of the devaluation and censorship of the humanities. Through a delineation of the lost sacrality of learning and philosophy as described in the Parangelmata and exhortations to philosophy of a number of ancient thinkers and scholars, he called for an “abandonment of current institutions and technologies, and a return to the disinterested contemplation of pure knowledge, which is the proper pursuit of the humanities.”

In the final panel, Dr. Versluis presented some more specific examples of emergent cultures as originally referred to in his plenary speech, and called for further discussion of whether or not we may currently be observing such a phenomenon, as well as the extent to and ways in which the philosophies and esoteric currents thus far discussed could be tools with which a new Renaissance can be engendered in our time. Dr. Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke addressed a number of political, social, and cultural concerns in his ardently delivered overview of the study and current understanding of esoteric historiography and traditions. Beginning with a historical overview of the Alexandrian and post-Alexandrian world, he stressed the significance of the Hellenic legacy in Western culture and called for its preservation in a world of rapidly blurring cultural demarcations. Citing current social and political issues, he posited that the esoteric worldview can act as a common point of reference that crosses religious and cultural boundaries and function as a counterweight to cultural polarization, particularly if, via its academic study, it can gradually be incorporated into mainstream thought.

Dr Emmanuel Korkidakis offered a ritualistic note in his invocation to Hestia at the beginning of his lecture. Via a close discussion of pre-Socratic, Aegean-Cretan and Orphic philosophers he advocated a “return to the sources” and a close re-reading of pre-Aristotelian and pre-Platonic teachings with respect to the sociocultural context, arguing that the Aristotelian-Platonic influences on modern culture are the cause of much confusion and misinterpretation.

Issues and Conclusions

Naturally any conclusions, despite the best efforts at academic objectivity, cannot be anything but subjective, and so any lapses in interpretation are entirely the author’s own.

With regard to the conference question itself, it can certainly be said that many directions were proposed, and many questions raised. The speakers seem to have focused on the modern academy and the ancient mystery traditions as the two main sources from which ideas and further direction can be drawn, while the topics of Arthur Versluis, David Fideler, Stanley Sfekas, and Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke seem to be those which most strongly demonstrated more practical directions in which to look. To regenerate a society we most certainly need education of a type that can encourage a kind of thinking conducive to cultural renaissance – though to do this it must be practicable in all those terms which as outlined by Versluis and Cardew, the modern academy no longer considers to be of significance. This naturally leads to the question, again as framed by Versluis, as to whether penetration of mainstream academia is even desirable, or whether a parallel educational current may be an equally viable option. As to its content, Fideler’s cosmology of a living universe, Sfekas’ process theology, Goodrick-Clarke’s cultural underpinnings, the call to responsible living on all levels as expressed by a number of speakers, and the “arts” panel’s “language of symbolism” seem to offer a full palette from which to glean orientation.

With regard to the study of esotericism per se in the modern world and modern academy, speakers such as Tilton, Poulkouras, Olsen, Bain, Lefakis and Chaitow, as well as audience members expressed or demonstrated the necessity for the integration of an experiential dimension – or at the very least, its understanding, into the academic study of esotericism. Concepts such as Fideler’s cosmology and even Versluis’ cultural emergence cannot very well be any more than abstract ideals without the full spectrum of human experience. For any potential integration into the mainstream as per Goodrick-Clarke, once again it needs to maintain a clear and honest balance between academic objectivity and emic perspectives derived as much from history as from the modern understanding of religious experience and esoteric practice, such as it is.

An issue which seems to gaining significance in the current sociopolitical climate is that of the political implications of esoteric thought, an easily misunderstood and still more easily misused aspect from which Phoenix Rising was not exempt. Given the occasionally elitist tendencies of practicing esoteric groups and the historical link between occult traditions and politics of a certain colour, as discussed by Hanegraaff at the 2009 ESSWE conference in Strasbourg, it is all too easy for scholars studying aspects of esotericism to be accused of political rhetoric, or for loaded language to be misunderstood. This is as much a cultural issue as it is a real one, and it is possible that there is a whole “politics of language” waiting to be discussed. Yet there is a clear and present issue here, which, since the Phoenix Rising conference took place in Athens, I will approach from a Greek perspective.

To begin with, political correctness does not have much meaning here. Freedom of expression and openness do. The majority of what may be considered “loaded terms” in a different cultural context, are understood here at face value. However, “esotericism,” “occultism,” and “mysticism” are indeed loaded and misunderstood terms which are not as acceptable here as they may now be in other Western cultures, and Phoenix Rising represents a triumph of the academic approach and the first step towards bridging such discrepancies – for while religion may still be a contentious subject in Greece – and elsewhere – philosophy is our greatest legacy, which is not and can not be censored. It is philosophy, culture, and Western esotericism born of Hellenic philosophy that we were here to discuss, and it is worth considering that prior to allowing it to polarize on the basis of implication alone – otherwise the same sensitivities that have led “Baa Baa Black Sheep” to become “Baa Baa Rainbow sheep” in UK nursery schools will have us building another Babel instead of rebuilding the road to the Philosophers’ Rose-garden. It has taken 300 years for us to even permit ourselves to publicly reexamine an enchanted worldview which allowed for man to stand in harmony with nature and look across the bridges of correspondences to the divine. Let us not be divided by semantics and circumspection – methodological debates and academic bitchery are quite enough to be getting upset about.

Equally, and importantly, the darker lessons of history must not be forgotten, neither those that led to the careless loss of cultural heritage in the name of technology and progress, nor those that led to carnage in the name of cultural superiority. As academics and as philosophers we know this. But this brings us back to our responsibility towards those who don’t, and this is where the unifying aspect of esoteric thought based on living nature, the brotherhood of man, and the divine spark in all living things, may be the key to union not only with the divine, but with each other.

The Future

The turnout and feedback both from our host venue, the University of Indianapolis Athens, the audience, and the speakers, has been overwhelmingly enthusiastic, and it is quite safe to say that “Phoenix Rising” will continue to develop and grow as an international, educational entity, comprising publications and further events in the near future, with the express purposes of (a) furthering the academic study of Western Esoteric Currents in Greece, (b) providing an alternative forum for the discussion of methodological and philosophical issues (c) reviving the exploration of Hellenic philosophy and teachings from a scholarly perspective, all of which within an environment characterized by an emphasis on transdisciplinarity and a spirit of openness and inclusiveness. Further announcements will follow soon.

The Phoenix Rising Academy launch event was well attended and attracted much interest from the Athenian audience. Dr. Stanley Sfekas raised several timely questions regarding Plato’s Allegory of the Cave in relation to the postmodern era, several of which were addressed by Mr Iordanis Poulkouras in his detailed historical delineation of the concept of Utopia and the numerous social and cultural shifts that it has inspired. Academy Director Sasha Chaitow presented Phoenix Rising Academy to the audience, featuring a detailed description of the Academy’s goals and teaching methods. At the end the panel took questions from the audience, one of which addressed the issues and limitations of distance-learning. Many thanks go to Dr S. Michailidis and the English Department at the University of Indianapolis Athens for hosting the event, and to Avaton Magazine for their kind sponsorship.

Due to popular demand, Sasha Chaitow’s presentation will be repeated on November 19th and 20th in Salonica and Alexandroupoli, Northern Greece respectively.

Here follows Dr. Sfekas’ presentation, Plato’s Allegory of the Cave: A Postmodern View. Mr Poulkouras’ presentation, Utopia in the Esoteric Quest is currently being translated and will be available in English soon, while Sasha Chaitow’s presentation will be uploaded following the final event in Alexandroupolis.

PLATO’S ALLEGORY OF THE CAVE: A POSTMODERN VIEW

BY

DR. STANLEY SFEKAS

It is generally agreed that the most famous allegory in Western Thought is Plato’s Allegory of the Cave, at the beginning of Book VII of the Republic. Now then, says Socrates as he introduces the allegory, imagine mankind as living in an underground cave which has a wide entrance open to the light. Deep inside are human beings facing the inside wall of the cave, with their necks and legs chained so that they cannot move. They have never seen the light of day or the sun outside the cave. Behind the prisoners a fire burns, and between the fire and the prisoners there is a raised way on which a low wall has been built, such as is used in puppet shows as a screen to conceal the people working the puppets. Along the raised way people walk carrying all sorts of things which they hold so that they project above the wall—statues of men, animals, trees. The prisoners, facing the inside wall cannot see one another, or the wall behind them on which the objects are being carried—all they can see are the shadows these objects cast on the walls of the cave.

The prisoners live all their lives seeing only shadows of reality, and the voices they hear are only echoes from the wall. But the prisoners cling to the familiar shadows and to their passions and prejudices, and if they were freed and able to turn around and see the realities which produce the shadows, they would be blinded by the light of the fire. And they would become angry and prefer to regain their shadow-world.

But if one of the prisoners were freed and turned around to see, in the light of the fire, the cave and his fellow prisoners and the roadway, and if he were then dragged up and out of the cave into the light of the sun, he would see things of the world as they truly are, and finally he would see the sun itself. What would this person think now of the life in the cave and what people know there of reality and of morality? And if he were to descend back into the cave, would he not have great difficulty in accustoming himself to the darkness. So that he could not compete with those who never left the cave? Would he not be subject to their ridicule, scorn, even their physical attack?

Of the many allegories in the history of Western thought, the allegory of the cave is the one most often cited. But what is an allegory? An allegory is a kind of story in which what is talked about is being compared to something else which is similar, but what that something else is, is left unstated. An allegory is accordingly defined as an incomplete simile—the reader must supply what is similar to the events described. What, then, is the allegory of the cave to be compared with? The people in the cave are living out their lives in semi-darkness, chained by their necks and legs, unable to turn around, never knowing that what they see before them on the wall of the cave are only shadows. They are in bondage, but unaware of it. They remain ignorant of themselves and reality. With whom may they be compared?

Each historical generation since Plato’s time has been tantalized by the question, how does the Allegory of the Cave apply to our time, our society? To what may the cave be compared in our lives? The question tantalizes us too: What is the relevance of the Allegory of the Cave to our present world? With what in our lives may it be compared? The following broad and general interpretations of the allegory have been made for generations and remain relevant and moving for many people in our own time.

For all generations throughout history it has been an allegory of sleeping and waking, of our time as asleep in the dark of the cave and needing to awake to a clear vision of the world. It has been an allegory of needing to be born again, to emerge from the darkness of corruption into the light of truth and morality. It is an educational allegory of our time as needing to ascend through stages of education from the darkness of intellectual and moral confusion in its everyday beliefs, to the light of true knowledge and values. It can also be a religious allegory of Christian conversion from the cave of self-love, and self-gratification to the love of God and devotion to His truth.

But perhaps there are interpretations of the allegory which are specifically relevant to our Postmodern world.

(1) The Allegory of the Cave may be viewed as a devastating criticism of our everyday lives as being in bondage to superficialities, to shadow rather than to substance. Truth is taken to be whatever is known by the senses. A good life is taken to be one in which we satisfy our desires. We are unaware that we are living with illusion, superficial knowledge, and false and conflicting ideals. Our lives are dominated by the shadow play on the walls of our cave made by the endlessly moving shadows on the television screen or computer monitor. As Marshal Mc Luhan has said, we live in the “Civilization of the Image”. And we no longer know who is controlling the images that daily bombard us.

(2) The Allegory of the Cave may be taken as an equally devastating criticism of the science of our time, with its emphasis upon that which can be known by the senses. Science, too, is chained so that it can see only shadows. Its basis is in sensory observation. Its conclusions are only in the form of correlations of observations. It does not venture into true causes or into long-range consequences. The empirical scientist has knowledge of sequences of perceptions much like the prisoners in the cave who excel in identifying sequences of shadows on the wall. It is a criticism also of our scientific technology and industry, developing and producing to meet superficial needs, without regard for our true needs or for our moral or environmental considerations.

(3) It is of course also a political allegory. The life in the cave is the life of politics. Both the leaders and the public are ignorant and corrupt, without true knowledge of themselves or of the world, motivated by greed, power and self-gratification. They are chained in bondage to ignorance and passions, to mob hysteria for or against fleeting issues, believing in current ideologies which are the illusions, the shadows of the moment, on the walls of the cave.

(4) It is an allegory of the philosopher king. The liberated one, having made the ascent to know the truth and the good, has a mission: to return to the cave, to bring enlightenment, to bring the good news, even though he may be killed for his services. Plato was thinking of Socrates. We think of Jesus.

For Plato, those who have completed the ascent out of the cave into the light of the sun are thereby alone fitted to govern, to be the philosopher-kings of society, to be its guardians. But here suddenly the Allegory of the Cave comes into conflict with contemporary views of ourselves, the world, and politics. Two questions are at issue: First, is there as Plato believes, a single, absolutely true, immutable and eternal concept of justice, of virtue, of the ideal society, of the ideal human being? And are these concepts such that only a few persons of superior intelligence can be educated to know them? Second, would this knowledge justify an authoritarian government by this elite of intelligence and virtue who would rule with unchecked power? This would be in total opposition to modern democracy, which is government by the many through their elected representatives.

Plato answered yes to both questions. This was Plato’s solution to the intellectual and moral decay of his time—an absolutist, authoritarian government by a small elite, educated to true knowledge and virtue, which are fixed in their essence for all time. After Plato’s time, the history of Western philosophy struggles with these two questions. The modern world for the most part answers no. Its concern is who will guard the guardians? Quis custodiet custodes?

(5) Finally, for us as for Plato, the Allegory of the Cave is an allegory of despair and hope. Like Plato we live in a time of loss of meaning and commitment, of crumbling standards of hope and morality, of corruption in political life, and decline in personal integrity. This is our despair. But there is a hope that we share with Plato’s allegory, the hope of ascending to truth and values that are the best we can know as guides to the good life. For us, as for the prisoner freed from his chains, the first step is to recognize current illusions for what they are, the current fleeting shadows on the wall of our cave.

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