What would Plato think of American advertising?

by Anita Gardonyi on Wednesday, March 23, 2011

If Plato would have the opportunity to come back to life and watch American advertising and observe the life of the American society, he would probably ask the creator to return him into his grave, as he would realize that all his work on this earth has made no difference after all.

Plato had a view about human perception of reality that he very creatively described in his Allegory of the Cave. According to him most of humans are prisoners (of their own worldviews?) who can only face in one direction looking at a giant bare wall. High up behind them are other human beings making shadow stories on the giant wall in the light of a huge fire. The prisoners’ perception of reality is based on the story the shadows play out and they have no idea about the living beings creating the shadow stories. It is a metaphorical image of human reality: invisible truths under the apparent surface of things that only the most enlightened can grasp. Most people are not even aware of their own limited perspectives.

The purpose of advertising is to make things “appear” irresistible, beautiful, easy, affordable and pleasurable. For example: advertising defines what beauty should look like. The image the media suggests fits about 1% of the population, which leaves 99% feel inadequate and insecure: leaving them vulnerable and desperate to buy whatever products and services necessary to make them “beautiful”.

The puppeteers of society create images and impressions of what the perfect life should be like and use the media make people chase false dreams. They create an un-satisfiable crave for things that promise to bring happiness, but can never do so.

Plato would immediately notice that and he would be very disappointed in our society that despite his teachings we have yet to learn the very basics of life: there is a lot more to life than what we choose to see and understand. To walk to path of enlightenment means breaking free of our limitations: it would mean breaking free of what we know and understand.

But for most the bliss of ignorance offers the illusion of happiness… until the walls of the cave come crumbling down burying the last spark of hope forever…