YamdaBlam!

“If the doors of perception were cleansed every thing would appear to man as it is, infinite. For man has closed himself up, till he sees all things through narrow chinks of his cavern.”

This quote blames man for all that has happened to him as he has closed himself off from the world. He has decided that he wants to live in his cavern. The very use of the word “cavern” is a reference to Platos analogy of the cave to describe how man is conditioned to see the world
in which he lives.

Its true, we are conditioned to view the world in a particular way. We’re also conditioned to accept changes to this view. Jacques Ellul was correct is stating that humans cannot be freer than when they are born into this world. As soon after birth the conditioning starts. I think there are processes of both natural and unnatural conditioning. There are many possible arguments for both in many different scenarios. Conditioning is the process of binding the human mind to set of behaviors which guarentee a degree of success in their environment. Couple these with the survival instinct and powerful behaviour patterns emerge which will override others given the correct stimulation.

Using Plato’s analogy, there are many more exits in his cave. Many traps too. Man is a social being and therefore can be mislead very easily. If you can fool one man, you can fool a million.

Recommended Reading:

1. Plato’s Republic

2. The Technological Society By Jacques Ellul