ancient philosophy, plato Flashcards
philosophy: ancient philosophy, plato
Rationalism.
Truth/reality is knowable by mind alone, empiricism is futile.
The Realm of the Forms.
Ideal, eternal, single versions of things found on earth.
The Realm of Apperences.
Our current reality full of reflections of that in the Realm of the Forms.
The Form of the Good.
The top of the Realm of the Form’s hierachy, illuminating everything for our minds eye.
The Higher Forms.
Under the Form of the Good, consisting of beauty, truth, justice, goodness, etc.
The Individual Forms.
The Realm of the Forms original forms of individual objects and things which are perfect and eternal.
Smilie of the Divided Line.
The analogy of the unequal division between the Realm of the Forms and the Realm of Apperances.
Opinion on philosophers role in society.
That philosophers should lead.
Opinion on the soul.
Exists from the Realm of the Forms, trapped in the material body of forgetfulness and through life remembers or has visions of that in the Realm of the Forms.
Aristotle’s objections.
- ‘Good’ cannot be defined in one absolute way
- Plato equates eternal with perfect
- If Forms were necessary, people would be studying them
- Understanding of the Forms have no practical value
- Theoretical knowledge does not equate to practical knowledge
- How many Forms are there?
Empiricist objection.
A priori knowledge is futile compared to a posteriori.
Karl Popper’s objection.
Plato’s philosophy is an attempt to avoid the uncertainties of the world by conjuring a sense of permanence.
A.J. Ayer’s objection.
Plato assumes our possession of nouns means there is something real corresponding to them, a ‘primative superstition’.
Kotabinski’s objection.
Some nouns are onomatoids, convinient shorthands refering to an abstract term or set of qualities.
