were told that what he saw before were nonentities, and that now, being brought nearer to the reality and turned towards it, he saw better than before; and even if any of the passers-by were pointed out to him and made to answer questions, and to say what he is, he would still think that what he saw before was more true than what was shown to him now. He would shun the excessive light, and turn away to that which he could see, and think it more visible than the objects which had been shown him.
"But if he were dragged to the light, up the steep and rough passage which opens to the cave, and fairly brought out into the light of the sun, he would be still more pained and more angry, and be at first so blinded that he would not be able to see real objects. It would require time and use to enable him to see things in daylight. At first he would be able to see shadows, then the reflected images of objects, and then objects themselves; and afterwards he might be able to look at the heavens by night, and see the heavenly bodies, the stars and the moon; and finally be able to look at the sun; not merely at a reflection of him in water, but at the sun himself in his own place. And then he might be led to reason about the sun, and see that he regulates seasons and years, and governs everything in this visible world, and is in a certain sense the cause of all the things which they in their captivity saw.
