Two Worlds, One Analogy
In the visible world the sun does two things: it gives objects the light by which they can be seen, and it is the cause of their growth and existence. Neither vision nor the visible world would be possible without it. Transpose this to the intelligible world and you have Plato's claim: the Form of the Good illuminates the other Forms so that they can be known, and it is the cause of their being and truth.
In like manner the good may be said to be not only the author of
knowledge to all things known, but of their being and essence, and yet
the good is not essence, but far exceeds essence in dignity and power.
Beyond Being
This is Plato's boldest metaphysical claim. The Form of the Good is not merely the highest thing we can know — it is the condition that makes knowing possible at all. It stands above even Being itself, which is why Socrates can only gesture at it through images rather than define it directly.
Why This Matters
The philosopher's education in The Republic culminates here. All the mathematics, dialectic, and years of practical service are preparation for a kind of intellectual vision directed at the Good. It is not a proposition to be memorised but an orientation of the whole soul — the final object of the long ascent from the cave.
The Allegory of the Sun appears in Book VI of The Republic and forms a trio with the Divided Line and the Allegory of the Cave.
Related Concepts
