Knowledge v Opinion

The Seventh book of Plato's Republic contains the famous myth, or allegory, of the cave, which is supposed to show us the differnce between knowledge and mere opinion.

We are asked to imagine some poeple sitting in a deep cave, where the light of the sun does not reach. They are chained in such a way that they canot turn their heads, and can see only the wall - the far end of the cave. Behind them a fire burns, and between them and the fire is a low wall and a path along which other people are moving, carrying statues or carvings of animal. The chained prisoners can see only shadows flickering on the wall in front of them, and they think these shadows are the only reality. Even if one of them could free himself and leave the cave, he would be so confused by the sight of the things of which previously he had seen only shadows, that at first he would take those shadows to be more real than the reality now before him; if he were to stop out into the sun, he would be blinded by its light and it would be a long time before he was able to see the sun itself. And if he were then to go back down into the cave his fellow prisoners would make fun of him and ridicule what he said.

The allegory of the cave is about us - prisoners of the world of appearacnces, still shackled by their chains. The sun into whose light only a few are admitting is the divine idea of the good, the eternal source of truth and illumination of the mind. It is the idea of the good that tells us what the good life is and how to coexist with other people. But those who have seen the idea of the good expose themsleves to the mockery of those who have not and who know only shadows. So it is the duty of lovers of truth and wisdomm namely philosophers to see to it that people - not everyone, just the best - see the source of the good and learn about it, and come to understand what matters most: what is just, what is good and what is evil. To this end they must familiarize themselves with the world of forms - that other reality, eternal and infinitely better than our imperfect, fleeting, ephemeral world of shadows.

A small extract from "Why is there something rather than nothing?"-Leszek Kolakowski

Never Been

"Good guys who dun die early will only live to see themselves become bad"

Should the line ever be drawn?
Should anger always be bad. Should destruction always be bad.
Should comfort always be good. Should help always be good.

Lets just remain open..