Plato Flashcards
Background
Aristocratic Athenian family
Family closely involved in politics
Theory of forms
Physical world is always changing and nothing stays the same. Because they change so much they cannot be the object of pure true knowledge. He argued there are other realities in which shunts are eternal and never change meaning they are perfect
Form of the good
Highest form that illuminated all other forms. True knowledge for Plato us true goodness. He argued that if people know what’s good and bad they will do good unless they are ignorant
Plato’s Demiurge
God- good and desires the best for humanity . He tries to make the world as best as he can but has limited resources so can only do the best he can.
Analogy of the cave summary
Prisoners trapped in a cave, images flashed across showing different things (horse, carriage), the prisoners believe this to be reality because they have never seen anything else. The fire behind them illuminates this wall and projects the shadows, it symbolizes how small their reality really is compared to what reality there actually is. They simply accept what’s in front of them as reality because they know nothing else but it’s a lie. One prisoner is released and completely puzzled because what he thought was the truth isn’t. Shown the actual objects he won’t know what they are and will still believe the shadows are more real. The prisoner was comfy with his life of ignorance and the change was painful, symbolized by going outside and having to look into the sun with also represents the bigger picture and illuminates the truth. He has an obligation to help others in ignorance but when he tells them they are hostile to him and even threaten to kill him if he tried to lead them out because they are comfortable in their truths and don’t want to accept that what they know is a lie. They are content with appearances and preferred comfort of their chains to the challenge of freedom
Those against Plato’s thought
Richard Dawkins- nonsense to talk of a transcendent other world. This world may be changeable but we can still learn a lot from all the changes and processes.
A.J Ayer- talking of something as good or bad is simply an expression of emotion and not referring to knowledge
Aristotle- cannot be a single form of the good because goodness always relates to specific situations, people and actions
Soul and body?
Dualism- two separate entities, temporarily united until the body dies then the soul is free and immortal.
Tripartite view
Chariot:
White horse-emotion(immortal)
Black horse-desire(mortal)
Chariot-reason
