How Did Socrates Return To The Cave

When the philosopher ascends from the cave and sees the light, he understands things for what they really are. Plato argues that in doing this creates a responsibility to return to the cave and educate the people who remain there. Why, having left the cave and being introduced to the true forms of beauty, truth and good, does the philosopher return to the cave to educate who remain there? The philosopher needs to have some motivation that drives him to return to the cave for education. This is a key theme in understanding what the philosopher's role is in Plato's Republic. The city in the Republic relies on knowledge and the cooperation of the citizens.
Knowledge creates a duty to educate everyone, so they gain the ability to understand how to benefit the common good. Education is the foundation of the city, this education is meant to produce citizens who will …show more content…
Glaucon asks what is he talking about. “To stay there and refuse to go down again to the prisoners in the cave and share their labors and honors, weather he inferior ones or the more excellent ones.” (519d) Socrates explains that even though the person that left the cave and became educated he must go back into the cave and share their “labors.” This is a great task that is expected of the educated person. Forcing a person to go back into the cave when they can live in the light and have a better life is unjust according to Glaucon. Doing this is not an unjust action though because if you were to allow everyone who left the cave stay in the light it would create a divide between the groups in the city. Therefore, the city would be divided into two cities, which Socrates would be displeased with because he is concerned with unifying the city. That is why they must go back into the cave and educate others, to unify and strengthen the city as a whole. Once the educated person goes back into the