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Plato’s Allegory of the Cave - Alex Gendler

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Twenty four hundred years ago, Plato, one of history’s most famous thinkers, said life is like being chained up in a cave forced to watch shadows flitting across a stone wall. Beyond sounding quite morbid, what exactly did he mean? Alex Gendler unravels Plato's Allegory of the Cave, found in Book VII of The Republic.

How does this imaginary dialogue relate to what actually happened to the historical Socrates?

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TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Educator Alex Gendler
  • Director John R. Dilworth
  • Animator Pilar Newton
  • Sound Designer William Hohauser
  • Script Editor Addison Anderson
  • Narrator Addison Anderson

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