Sophocles' Oedipus, Plato's Shipowner and Plato's Prisoner in the Cave share a common theme: reluctance to learn from the truth and show the role others play facing self-identity. . All three, Oedipus, the shipowner and the prisoner of the cave, illustrate the theme of deliberation manifested by a society. Enlightened by others, Oedipus finally learns that he has committed murder and incest. Likewise, the shipowner is shown his limits and thus understands that he is not qualified to steer his ship when the sailors argue over who will be next in command. Additionally, the prisoner in the cave is dragged out by others (community of enlightened individuals) and given the opportunity to see the real world for the first time. Thus, with the help of others (community), Oedipus, the shipowner, and the prisoner in the cave are able to recognize their identities and face the truth about their erroneous behavior. Through Sophocles and Plato, civic deliberation fits into these three approaches: (1) thanks to the evidence provided to him by the public, Oedipus learns the truth about his identity and accepts the judgment and punishment he had imposed to the culprit before realizing it; (2) through the violent actions of the sailors, the shipowner recognizes his limits; and (3) the prisoner is dragged from the cave into the world of sunlight, exposed to the truth, and returns to the cave to deliberate with the others about getting out. Therefore, all three cases show that the process of civic deliberation is carried out through the community. Oedipus initially finds the implications of murdering his father and sleeping with his mother difficult to tolerate as a factual manifestation of his past. He disputes the fact that he caused such...... middle of paper ...... connection with the truth. Socrates says: “The truth is that it does not matter whether you are rich or poor: if you fall ill, you are obliged to dance on a doctor, and if you must accept authority, you must dance. the recourse to someone in a position of authority and capable of providing it” (Plato 209-210), to signify that an individual needs a society or a third party to become enlightened. Oedipus ends up realizing his mistakes when the community shows them to him. The shipowner realizes his incapacity when the sailors threaten to overthrow him. The prisoner in the cave recognizes the truth when others force him out of the cave. Thus Socrates serves as a model of civic deliberation when he illustrates their behavior and, through dialogue with his interlocutors, questions the ability to find the truth and enlighten oneself...