Plato

Question 1

LIST (NAME ONLY) every component of Plato’s theory ting

Answer 1

1) intro
2) dualism/ world of appearances and forms
3) Forms/knowledge
4) Analogy of the cave
5) meaning behind analogy

Question 2

What is Plato’s Dualistic view? (para 2)

Answer 2

• Plato was a dualist and believed the body and soul exist separately but are linked in some way.
• This made him believe in two realms: the material world which we live in and is constantly changing (Decay,growth and death) and the realm of the souls which is unchanging.
• In the realm of appearances, nothing is true just subjective to pinions.
• In the realm of reality, everything is true which will never change.

Question 3

Outline plato’s concept of forms (para3)

Answer 3

Plato said in our world, we have ideas of beauty and this idea comes from form of beauty. E.g. we are able to recognise beauty of a flower as it has come from the form of beauty. There are many other forms for everything and they provide a baseline for what we think of forms. In our world there are just forms of the real items. E.g the real world is the world of the forms and we live in a land which consists of the shadows of these forms.

Question 4

What is the form of the good and what meaning does it have, why is it important?

Answer 4

Unchanging, transcendent form and source of all other forms. Forms were interconnected and arranged in a hierarchy. Form of the good is the greatest thing we learn and gives meaning to life.

Question 5

What are 4 criticisms of Plato’s theory?

Answer 5

• Forms could just be ideas preserved in peoples minds: ideas of beauty justice etc could just be preserved and passed from mind to mind.
• Plato never explained the link between forms and world of appearances
• Are there forms of everything, even pain and suffering?
• Existence of any other world cannot be proven

Question 6

Outline Plato’s analogy of the cave

Answer 6

1) Prisoners are locked up inside a cave and believe their only reality is the shadows.
2) If prisoner is freed, they would be confused when they see firelight as their reality is the shadows.
3) If prisoner was forced outside, they would be afraid of sunlight.
4) If he stays outside, he will adjust and see importance of the sun
5) Out of his duty, he will come back and tell the rest
6) When other prisoners see him he wont be adjusted to the light and will scare them.
7) they will fight off anyone who tries to free them(Socrates killed when telling peers)

Question 7

What does (Cave/Shadows/Prisoners) symbolise?

Answer 7

The Cave = Visible world we live in (World of appearances)
Prisoners= People who are not enlightened
Shadows = Reality for prisoners. Illusion we see as reality.

Question 8

What does the sun and the outside of the cave represent?

Answer 8

• *Outside the cave** = True reality, unchanging world of forms.
• *The Sun** = Perfect form of the good, source and sustainer of all other forms.

Question 9

What does journey out of the cave/return to cave / death of the escaped prisoner symbolise?

Answer 9

• *Journey out** = Struggle for true knowledge
• *Death of escaped** = Reference to death of socrates
• *Return to cave **= Philosophers attempting to explain ideas

Question 10

What is the material world and world of appearances?

Answer 10

World of appearances/material world- changing world constantly decaying death etc. Where our bodies are. SENSIBLE - ONLY known through empirical senses
World of the forms - unchanging, perfect. Where our souls are - Intelligable - only known through empirical senses