Extra credit: Plato’s cycle of opposites argument

Question 1

Question: What is the first premise (P1) of Plato’s cycle of opposites argument?

Answer 1

Answer: P1 states that every change from one state to another must involve a cycle of opposites. For example, something becoming ‘smaller’ must be cycling away from ‘bigger’. A quality which has an opposite comes into being from its opposite.

Question 2

Question: What does the second premise (P2) of Plato’s argument claim about the balance of processes?

Answer 2

Answer: P2 claims that the cycling involves two opposite processes, such as increasing and decreasing. If these processes were not equally balanced, everything would be eternally getting bigger and bigger or smaller and smaller.

Question 3

Question: How does Plato apply the cycle of opposites to life and death in the third premise (P3)?

Answer 3

Answer: In P3, Plato argues that something dying is cycling away from the process of coming into life. Therefore, something coming into life must be cycling away from the process of death.

Question 4

Question: What does the fourth premise (P4) state about the balance between life and death?

Answer 4

Answer: P4 states that this process must be balanced; otherwise, there would be only dead things or no dead things.

Question 5

Question: What is the conclusion (C1) of Plato’s cycle of opposites argument?

Answer 5

Answer: C1 concludes that there must be a soul which is cycling between life and death.

Question 6

Question: How does Plato’s cycle of opposites argument explain the existence of opposites?

Answer 6

Answer: The argument explains that opposites come into being from their opposites through a cyclical process, ensuring that changes are balanced.

Question 7

Question: According to Plato, what would happen if the processes of opposites were not balanced?

Answer 7

Answer: If the processes of opposites were not balanced, everything would either continually grow bigger and bigger or smaller and smaller without end.

Question 8

Question: How does the concept of balance in the cycle of opposites relate to the process of life and death?

Answer 8

Answer: The concept of balance implies that for every death, there must be a corresponding birth, maintaining a cycle where life and death are in equilibrium

Question 9

Question: What role does the soul play in Plato’s cycle of opposites argument?

Answer 9

Answer: The soul is proposed as the entity that cycles between life and death, facilitating the balance between these states.

Question 10

Question: What philosophical principle underlies Plato’s cycle of opposites argument?

Answer 10

Answer: The underlying principle is that all changes involve a cyclical process where opposites are balanced, ensuring a harmonious transition between different states of being.

Question 11

Question: What is one criticism of Plato’s cycle of opposites argument regarding the objective nature of “life” and “death”?

Cycle of opposites criticism:

Answer 11

Answer: One criticism is that “life” and “death” may not be objective qualities but merely descriptions of different arrangements of atoms. Objectively, they may not be opposites, undermining the premise of Plato’s argument.

Question 12

Question: How does the criticism regarding the objective nature of “life” and “death” challenge Plato’s argument?

Cycle of opposites criticism:

Answer 12

Answer: This criticism challenges the assumption that “life” and “death” are inherent opposites, suggesting instead that they are subjective human interpretations of biological processes rather than objective states of being.

Question 13

Question: What is another criticism of Plato’s cycle of opposites argument regarding the expansion of the universe?

Cycle of opposites criticism:

Answer 13

Answer: Another criticism is that the universe is getting bigger and bigger, especially since the Big Bang, which contradicts the idea of eternal cycling between opposites. Plato could not have been aware of the discoveries of modern physics when proposing his argument.

Question 14

Question: How does the expansion of the universe challenge Plato’s argument?

Cycle of opposites criticism:

Answer 14

Answer: The expansion of the universe challenges the cyclical nature proposed by Plato, suggesting instead a linear progression from the Big Bang onwards. This undermines the premise of eternal cycling between opposites.

Question 15

Question: What does the criticism regarding the expansion of the universe imply about Plato’s understanding of cosmology?

Cycle of opposites criticism:

Answer 15

Answer: It implies that Plato’s argument may be outdated or insufficiently informed by modern scientific discoveries, particularly in the field of cosmology. This raises doubts about the applicability of his argument in light of contemporary knowledge.