Plato's Cave

Etymology
Described by in the  in the .

Proper noun

 * 1)  An allegorical cave whose unwitting, chained inhabitants perceive reality only in the form of shadow puppetry cast by the light of a man-made fire, lacking any awareness of the limitations of their perspective or its constructed nature.

Usage notes
The cave itself is only part of the allegory, which describes the experiences of a person leaving the cave and what lies outside, though the two are sometimes conflated.

Translations

 * Portuguese: Caverna de Platão