The Shadows
Would you believe him?
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The Shadows
People have been chained in a cave since birth, facing a blank wall. Behind them a fire burns, and things pass in front of it, throwing shadows on the wall. The shadows are all anyone has ever seen, so they name them and argue about them and get good at guessing which one comes next. One prisoner gets loose, climbs out, and sees the daylight world. Then he comes back down to tell the others.
Would you believe him?
Then ask
- What would he have to bring back to convince you?
- Is there something you suspect you're only seeing the shadow of?
- If the others refuse to leave, should he drag them out?
The classics and some new ones. A scenario, the question it forces, and the follow-ups that make it bite.