Plato

Question 1

Who was Plato influenced by? What did they say?

Answer 1

Socrates who said that to be moral you had to have true knowledge: to know what is right is to do what is right.

Question 2

What was Plato trying to find a solution to?

Answer 2

The problem that, although stability is an underpaying factor of the world (the sun rises every morning), it is constantly changing (you never step into the same river twice).

Question 3

What type of knowledge does Plato believe we have? Give an example.

Answer 3

Innate knowledge- knowledge that is gained through the mind rather than the senses; it is an essential part of our character, which we have from birth.

For example he showed this in the dialogue Meno:
Socrates gives a slave boy a mathematical problem and finds that he knows the answer even though he has not been taught maths. Plato suggests that the boy remember the answer, as it was already in his mind.

Question 4

What is the name for knowledge gained through the senses? Why does Plato not trust this?

Answer 4

Empirical knowledge

He says that our senses cannot be trusted trusted because the world is constantly changing.

Question 5

Describe Plato’s ideas about dualism.

Answer 5

Plato was a dualist and believed that the body and soul exist separately from each other but are linked in some way. He believed that the soul has always existed. He also believed in two types of beings: spiritual beings (souls) and material being (houses, chairs, animals etc) and that has its own realm.

Question 6

What are the names of Plato’s two realms?

Answer 6

Realm of appearances

Realm of reality

Question 7

Describe the realm of reality.

Answer 7

A world of the souls
A world of perfect concepts
An intelligible world
A world beyond the senses
A world of true knowledge
Eternal and unchanging

Question 8

Describe the realm of appearances

Answer 8

Our world
A world of imperfect phenomena
A visible world
A world of senses
A world of opinions
Decaying and changing

Question 9

How does knowledge link to the realms?

Answer 9

In the realm of appearances, where we live, everything is in a state of flux, so empirical knowledge is not true knowledge but just a set of subjective opinions. In the realm of reality there is true knowledge that will never change.

Question 10

What are Plato’s Forms (Eidos)?

Answer 10

Forms are perfect ideas, everything on earth is just a representation of its true Form. They are universal essences found in all things in the universe (universal truths). They are fixed for all time, people and place. They are the most real, existing beyond this world.

Question 11

What is the nature of the Forms?

Answer 11

They are perfect, eternal, unchanging, timeless, space less, immaterial, divine, true.

Question 12

What does Plato teach about our knowledge of the Forms?

Answer 12

Knowledge of the Forms is held eternally within our soul (A priori) and when we are born we forget it (amnesis). It must be discovered or remembered using reason, intelligence and contemplation (anamnesis).

Question 13

What is the highest Form?

Answer 13

The Form of the good is the highest and everything contains it.

Question 14

What is the hierarchy of the Forms?

Answer 14

1. The Form of the Good
2. Universal Qualities (justice, truth, beauty)
3. Concerts and ideals
4. Physical living (innate) objects
5. Physical inanimate objects

Question 15

What are particulars?

Answer 15

They partake in the Forms. They are imperfect copies (shadows) of the Forms on earth that we can know with the senses. For example a table that we can see is just a particular, it captures the essence of the Form of a table but cannot be perfect as it is viewed with the senses and is in this world (Horaton).

Question 16

What is the Demiurge?

Answer 16

The Demiurge is Plato’s God.

Question 17

Describe how the Demiurge created the universe.

Answer 17

The Demiurge moulded pre-existing matter into our universe. He is not omnipotent. The Demiurge did NOT create the matter which already existed in a state of chaos. Forms were not created or able to create. The Demiurge used the Forms as blueprints from which to model the universe after.

Question 18

Why did the Demiurge have a problem when creating the universe?

Answer 18

The matter the Demiurge was using was imperfect, temporal and special unlike the Forms. Therefore He had to use imperfect materials to fashion something to resemble the perfect, unchanging original. This helps to explain why the universe has flaws and why there is still evil and suffering as it is an imperfect model, or because the matter resisted His will.
It is like asking a sculptor to depict wind. He may catch the power or essence of the wind but now the whole concept as it is fleeting.

Question 19

How does Plato view justice?

Answer 19

Since the Form of the good is the highest Form, justice and goodness should contain the essence of good.
Knowledge of the Form of the good allows us to act in a just and fair way.

Question 20

Why did Plato believe that philosophers should rule society?

Answer 20

They would put their own interests aside and not be distracted by the temptations and selfish desires of the body. They have the knowledge of the Forms so they are able to educate others.

Question 21

What is Plato’s cave analogy?

Answer 21

1. Plato➡️ prisoners in a cave➡️ chained➡️ face towards the back wall
2. Fire burns behind➡️ in front of this fire is a screen➡️ puppeteers carry artificial objects➡️ fire casts shadows on the wall
3. Shadows real to prisoners
4. One of the prisoners is released➡️ journeys to the mouth of the cave➡️ goes outside of the cave➡️ sees the sun
5. Out of duty returns to darkness of the cave➡️ tells other prisoners➡️ think he has gone mad

Question 22

How does the cave analogy explain Plato’s theory if the Forms?

Answer 22

It tells us that people have to look to find the truth. The prisoners believe that the world inside the cave is reality, however we know that there is lots more. This links to how Plato believes there is a more real world outside of this one (Noeton). The journey to the mouth of the cave represents how philosophers have to search using reason and contemplation to find the Forms. It also suggests that people are often unwilling to believe something more than what we have empirical proof of.

Question 23

Explain why there is criticism of Plato’s theory of the Forms due to lack of empirical evidence.

Answer 23

His concepts: Forms, soul, Demiurge all lack empirical proof (Aristotle’s criticism)
Plato only tells us what the Forms would be like if they existed, he can not establish they exist in an objective sense outside of the mind.
You cannot define things into existence.
Plato’s idea that there is an objective meaning for justice, beauty, goodness is challenged as these can be subjective.

Question 24

Explain the criticism about the link between the Forms and the physical world (Horaton).

Answer 24

It so not clear if there are Forms for everything: every breed of dog or things that haven’t been invented yet. Is there a form for evil?
How does the Form of justice link to justice in the world?

Question 25

What is Aristotle’s Third Man argument?

Answer 25

It states that if a man is a copy of the Form of a man, what is the origin of the Form of a man (a form of a form)?
Aristotle argues that a copy of the Form of a man could turn out to be an infinite regress that never stops. Therefore making the theory of the Forms meaningless to explain the ultimate origin of concepts.

Question 26

What is a criticism of Plato’s idea of the absolute value of good?

Answer 26

Plato believes morality is absolute and discovered through the use of reason or the intellect. Some philosophers such as Benthem and Fletcher argue that morality is relative. Every situation is different.
GE Moore says that moral goodness is indefinable and subjective.
Our experiences also shape our ideas of right and wrong.
Just because philosophers know right from wrong, it doesn’t mean that this stops them from acting immorally.

Question 27

Explain a criticism about the senses and reason.

Answer 27

Plato argues knowledge gained through the senses is the lowest form of knowledge (dividing line).
However the senses have enabled humans to survive for thousands of years and to make advances in science, technology and medicine.
Knowledge through the senses can be checked and proved to others.

Question 28

Identify the strengths in Plato’s theory if the Forms.

Answer 28

It explains why we all recognise the same essential elements in something.
This argument helps us to understand why there are imperfections in the world around us.
It encourages us to question in order to learn and not to accept things at face value.