Plato

Question 1

Form (Plato)

Answer 1

The internal and real idea of something (e.g. beauty)

Question 2

Form of the Good-definition

Answer 2

The highest/greatest form

Question 3

Rationalism

Answer 3

A rationalist is someone who believes that human reason is the primary source of all knowledge of the world.

Question 4

Empiricism

Answer 4

An empiricist is someone who believes that the primary source of all knowledge derives from what the senses tell us.

Question 5

Revelation

Answer 5

The primary source of all knowledge od the world is revealed to humanity by a God through encounter

Question 6

Concept/Ideal

Answer 6

the innate ideal of object

Question 7

Phenomena/Particular

Answer 7

A action instance of a ‘horse’ reflecting from the world of the forms

Question 8

Immutical

Answer 8

unchanging

Question 9

A posterori

Answer 9

An argument based on senses and experiences

Question 10

The Analogy of the Cave story

Answer 10

1. A group of adults who had lived in a cave since birth. They had there legs and necks tied and so they could not move. These ‘prisoners’ faced a blank wall.
2. Behind these people was a walk way, where other people would walk across carrying objects.
3. There was a fire which acted like the sun, as the people carried the objects across it made shadows on the wall that the prisoners where facing.
4. one day on of the passers by spoke and it echoed around the cave. No-one thought to turn around, except one man. he was released, and had clear vision.
5. From outside the cave he could see not just shadows but reflection too. some of the object reflections were I the water. he could also see the sun and stars
6. If any other prisoners wanted to see this then they would need to question how the objects move.
7. The man returned to the cave to tell his fellow prisoners but they could not go outside the cave because they did not question the moving objects and accepted what there 5 senses tell them.

Question 11

What does the Cave represent?

Answer 11

The world that we live in, where most people are trapped in the world of senses. A world of decay and change.

Question 12

What do the Prisoners represent?

Answer 12

Ordinary people who rely on what there 5 senses tell them. ( Empiricist)

Question 13

What do the Shadows represent?

Answer 13

Material objects, experienced by the senses. The phenomena the instances or reflections of the forms. A poor reflection of something more perfect.

Question 14

What does the Prisoner whose set free represent?

Answer 14

The philosopher- the rationalist who relies on reason to understand the real world.

Question 15

What does the Journey out of the Cave represent?

Answer 15

The philosophers journey to enlightenment from the material world

Question 16

What does the World outside the Cave represent?

Answer 16

The world of the forms, the real world, which is eternal and immutable. Everlasting- has no beginning or end

Question 17

What does the Sun represent?

Answer 17

The highest form, the form of the good, on which everything ultimately depends.

Question 18

What does the Prisoners return represent?

Answer 18

The philosophers trying to convince others of the real world only known through reason.

Question 19

STRENGHTS of the analogy of the cave

Answer 19

~uses the concept that everyone can understand
~people are derived by the 5 senses
~ it is universal

Question 20

WEEKNESS’S of the analogy of the cave

Answer 20

~ ideas of what is beautiful have changed

Question 21

the world of the forms

Answer 21

the ideal of something, reality, eternal, a concept ( a form) of something i.e. a horse, the form of the good. source of reality. gives us thought and visibility and knowledge of the power of the mind.

Question 22

the material world

Answer 22

appearance, decay and change, a idea of something (phenomena/ particular). the sun in the analogy, source- growth and light, viability of objects sense, power of the eye, visible objects.

Question 23

Forms are…

Answer 23

…perfect version of things.

Question 24

The form of a rose…

Answer 24

… is a ideal rose.

Question 25

Forms of the universe…

Answer 25

…things in the physical world are particulars

Question 26

Particulars are…

Answer 26

… imperfect copies in the physical world.

Question 27

The real world

Answer 27

~knowledge ~immutable ~perfect ~ timeless ~eternal ~reason ~invisible

Question 28

The world of appearance

Answer 28

~reflection ~imperfect ~change ~decay ~senses ~opinion

Question 29

The form of the good-explanation

Answer 29

Plato believes there is a hierarchy of forms. The form of the good is the highest of the forms. without it we cannot understand the other forms. the ideal.

Question 30

STRENGHTS

Answer 30

~ your senses can be misleading- like when you have a cold
~ analogy of the cave is an easier way to understand it
~ only one absolute truth, perfect idea (e.g. beauty)
~ we can think and question the outside world
~Plato was ahead of his time, other philosophers playing catch-up

Question 31

WEEKNESS’S

Answer 31

~something white will not become eternal
~we don’t all have the same idea about what is good
~beauty is constantly changing, beauty is an opinion, can be immutable
~ everything changes- is immutable
~we need our senses so we learn (e.g. a hot pan) and don’t bump into things
~the analogy of the cave is never ending- things can always get bigger