Plato

Question 1

What are the Material Realm and the Realm of the Forms?

Answer 1

The Material Realm is the world which we reside in, here things are temporary and are ever changing. In the Realm of the Forms the Forms are eternal and do not change.

Question 2

What are the Forms?

Answer 2

The Forms are essentially the underlying essence of a thing. All beautiful things reflect the form beauty, but none are the same as the form. They are all in some way imperfect, but the Form is perfect.

Question 3

What are the 4 steps to the Resemblance Argument?

Answer 3

1. The body is related to the physical realm of desires.
2. The soul is related to the intellectual realm of Forms.
3. The realm of Forms is eternal.
4. Therefore the soul is eternal too.

Question 4

What is the Resemblance Argument?

Answer 4

One of Plato’s arguments for the immortality of the soul.

Question 5

What are the 3 elements of the soul?

Answer 5

Base appetites, spirit (emotions) and reason.

Question 6

What does the Charioteer analogy show?

Answer 6

The charioteer analogy shows how reason should be used to guide our emotions and base appetites in order to achieve self control.

Question 7

What is the basic purpose of the Cave Allegory?

Answer 7

To show that we should not trust our sensory experiences.

Question 8

Criticism// Plato just assumes the truth of the theory of Forms- there is no evidence!

Answer 8

Counter// He doesn’t. The theory of Forms shows us what our general concepts refer to- you can’t make sense of this without something like the theory of Forms.

Question 9

Criticism// If there is a Realm of the Forms, who is to say that there is not Forms of the Forms etc. (Infinite regress).

Answer 9

Counter// If the Forms are already the perfect essence of the things we know then they would not need Forms.