Srinagar, Dec. 6 -- It is the sun that puts brightness into the moon- This simple yet profound observation becomes an illuminating metaphor when placed in a philosophical context. Just as the sun lends its radiance to the moon, truth bestows clarity upon human understanding. Plato, in The Republic, identifies the Form of the Good as the highest and most fundamental reality-an ultimate principle that illuminates the intelligible realm, allowing us to know anything at all. Without this metaphysical "sun," human perception remains confined to shadows, illusions, and fragmented impressions.

Plato's allegory of the cave reminds us that to remain a prisoner of one's own ignorance is to accept distorted shadows as reality. The cave-dwellers who...