Shadow and Substance: Plato’s Theory of Forms and the Contemporary Politics of Mediated Reality Introduction Plato’s assertion that empirical reality is merely a shadow of Ideas—most famously articulated in The Republic through the Allegory of the Cave—constitutes one of the most enduring metaphysical claims in Western philosophy. This claim is not a metaphorical flourish but … Continue reading How does Plato’s assertion that empirical reality is merely a shadow of Ideas underpin his theory of Forms and his metaphysical dualism? Does Plato’s assertion that reality is a shadow retain relevance in contemporary debates on virtual reality, ideology, and mediated perception?