Plato Flashcards
What was Plato?
A rationalist - he believed that you could only gain true knowledge though reason and logic
Where did Plato write his work?
In the Republic - dualism and separate realm
What was the problem of the one and the many?
- World in constant state of flux
- Heraclitus = cannot step in same river twice
- senses cannot be trusted
- knowledge is innate
What are the forms?
Perfect, immutable, unchanging and eternal
How do we know what the forms are?
- past recollection from when our soul was there in previous life
What is the world divided into?
Appearance and reality
What is the gingerbread analogy?
All objects in world of appearances are copies from realm of forms therefore they are not perfect and have flaws, like a gingerbread cutter.
Recognise what they are but they are not true form
What are the objects in this world ?
Pale imperfect copies
What is the form of the good?
Illuminates all other forms and is present in all forms
Explain the allegory of the cave
People in there: us
Man who ventures = philosopher
Chains = body and government
Shadows = what we perceive as to be real world
Journey out = fight for knowledge and against bodily desires
Sun = form of good
Return back = attempt to explain knowledge
Demiurge
- Plato’s God
- potter and clay
- made world out of pre existing matter
- model perfect world using imperfect matter
- not true knowledge, don’t trust senses, use reason
What was Aristotle’s criticism of Plato
Third man argument - infinite regress of forms
Are there forms of everything?
Did not concentrate on material matter
But truth beauty and justice
What about evil and suffering
What was Aristotle’s criticism of Plato
Third man argument - infinite regress of forms
Are there forms of everything?
Did not concentrate on material matter
But truth beauty and justice
What about evil and suffering
