How Plato's cave allegory juggles our seeing habits
Those, who leave the cave under toughest effort, don't see in HD and color above there. The eyes of those, who have been living in the cave for many years of their life, are hurt by the brightness of the sun. Habituation is necessary to recognize anything at all outside of the cave, as Plato puts it. And after at first only suspecting shadows of people and things, initially he would see reflections of them on the water. Before he would recognize people and things 'in themselves'.
What does this hierarchy of knowing - first shadows, then reflections in the water, then 'truth' - have to do with our seeing habits? And, especially meaningful for photography, what is it about light as a condition for such a hierarchy of seeing?
A photograph originates from light that touches the sensor or analog film in the camera. One records a reflection of 'reality'. What, if the picture one takes is not an image of reality, but an image of an image? Could you photographically play with this potential circumstance to show the uncatchability of 'truth'? Is 'truth' really not catchable or touchable?
'Plato at the riverside', Regensburg, 2021 © Dr. Christine Lehr
It might have been those thoughts with which Plato stood at the riverside with his camera, about 2400 years ago. His special attention probably went into the concepts of 'truth' and light. Two thousand years later we are still engaged in this heavy philosophical debate. Knowing of this impact would have made him smile, or fold his hands?
In either case, he passed ideas on to us, for whose seeing or understanding one needs more than a camera. Perhaps a personal involvement that demands courage and relentlessness. Because for Plato the sun stands for the assumed highest idea, the idea of the good. In the same way the light of the sun turns things into becoming recognizable, the idea of the good enables 'truth', virtues, insight etc.
A photograph of scales for example would in a sense partake in an idea of justice. It would be a contingent representation of justice. Can we only ever express a specific version of an idea? Do we need the element of courage, as soon as we move towards the idea of truth and last but not least the good?
To be continued.
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