criticism of the forms

Question 1

Plato and Language

Answer 1

Hare
theory of the forms reflects the grammar of the greek language- abstract nouns
Wittgenstein- bewitchment of language
hypothesis of linguistic relativity

Question 2

Plato on knowledge and reality

Answer 2

why do episteme and doxa have to have diff objects

surely it can be episteme = jtb and doxa unjustitifed and false

Question 3

knowledge and certainty

Answer 3

reject the claim knowledge requires certainty as it doesn’t allow for knowledge of the sensual world
knowledge as jtb instead

Question 4

crits from Parmenides 1

Answer 4

reduction ad absurdum - form for a blonde left handed woman with small ears

Question 5

crits from Parmenides 2

Answer 5

if the form participates in the particular the Form participates separately from itself
if part of the Form participates in each particular then the form is divisible

Question 6

plato response crits from Parmenides 2

Answer 6

participation rather than imitation

e.g. morning is totally present is totally present in Manchester and in London yet is not fragmented

Question 7

crits from Parmenides 3

Answer 7

how can you know the forms if they are totally separate

recollection not argued for and not a satisfactory answer

Question 8

the problem of the third man

Answer 8

Aristotle - many consider definitive refutation
if two men participate/ imitate the form of man then all 3 must have a common characteristic
therefore must be a form connecting all three
leads to regress as it is repeated each time

Question 9

empirical evidence

Answer 9

no empirical evidence for the forms- Aristotle as an idealist would dislike
as an idealist plato roots all knowledge in the universals