Anodos

‘Anodos’ is an ancient greek noun, which is naturally translated “the way up,” or “the march up.” It consists of a common prefix ‘an’, which can either mean “up along,” or simply “up,” and is combined with the popular greek noun, ‘odos’ (nominative singular), which means “way,” “street,” “road,” or “path.”

‘Anodos’ is an infrequently used term, but it is employed in much the same way as the more familiar term ‘exodos,’ which we have adopted in english. The term ‘exodos’ also contains the term ‘odos,’ but includes the prefix ‘ex,’ which means “out of,” instead of the prefix ‘an,’ meaning “up.” Thus, ‘exodos’ can be translated as “the way out,” or “the expedition,” while ‘anodos’ can be translated “the way up,” or “the ascention.”

Perhaps the most memorable and profound use of ‘anodos’ can be found in Book VII of Plato’s Republic, where Plato illustrates his metaphysical/epistemological doctrine by use of an allegory—i.e. the allegory of the cave. Here, Plato likens the human condition to that of prisoners being held in a cave; prisoners who are fettered, and forced to watch meaningless shadows upon the cave wall, and have never seen the true light of day. The shadows are being cast by the prison guards, who are moving in front of a fire that is located behind the prisoners.

For Plato, the life of the prisoners inside the cave represents the life of man, who is fettered by the sights and sounds that are constantly being produced by his senses— sights and sounds that confuse him and distract him from his true purpose. The true philosopher is the man who breaks through the chains, in order to ascend to the entrance of the cave, and to discover the reality outside of the cave—to translate, the true philosopher discovers the realm of the mind beyond the senses, in order to live the life of reason according to the idea of The Good:

“…and if you take the ascent, and the contemplation of the things above, to be the soul’s way up (anodov, accusative singular of anodos) into the intelligible realm, you will not mistake my meaning, since this is what you’re eager to hear.” (Rep. 517b 3-6)

Although Plato’s application of the term ‘anodos’ in the Republic may have supplied it with its philosophical (and somewhat religious) connotation, he can hardly be said to have invented the term himself. For instance, in one of Aesop’s most famous fables, written some 200 years ealier, a clever fox, who is stuck inside a well, convinces a thoughtless goat to come down and drink with him, at which point, the fox jumps upon the back of the goat in order to escape. Here, the goat’s back is said to provide the fox with an ‘anodos’ (The Fox and the Goat 4.15).

*the central character in George Macdonald's fantasy novel Phantastes

*a pseudonym used by the poet Mary Elizabeth Coleridge.