Plato Flashcards
What are the two worlds for Plato called?
1) World of the Forms
2) World of Appearances
What is knowledge for Plato?
Apriori and rational
What is apriori knowledge?
knowledge before sense experience based on reason alone
What are particulars?
Reflections of forms found in the material world
What are the two worlds?
The material world and the world of the forms
What is the world of the forms like?
The world of the forms is accessed through reason and nothing changes because everything is perfect. The forms are perfect, immutable and unchanging.
What is the material world like?
The material world consists of particulars. As the world is in constant flux the reality of the world can never be known - you can only have opinions about this world.
Where does our knowledge come from?
It is a priori from when our immortal soul was in the world of the forms. We remember forms- amanuensis- and this how we recognise beauty. Socrates used the example of a slave boy remembering Pythagoras’ theorem to support this.
What is Plato’s analogy of the cave?
Prisoners (empiricists) are chained in a cave (the material world) and can only see shadows (particulars) cast by people walking in front of a fire. A prisoner is set free (the philosopher) and at first the light blinds him (the hard journey) but then he can see the real world (the world of the forms). He sees that everything (forms) is illuminated by the sun (the form of the good). He then returns to free the other prisoners but they threaten to kill anyone that frees them (an allusion to socrates).
What is the hierarchy of forms?
The order of importance:
1) form of the good
2) forms of things like beauty or justice
3) lower forms
4) mathematical reasoning
5) material objects
6) opinons
What is the form of the good?
The form of the good is the most important form that allows us to see forms and causes forms to be what they are. All forms are good because they participate in the form of the good. The form of the good is the ultimate end in itself as the aim of everything is goodness.
What are the strengths/weaknesses of Plato’s theory?
+ “All western philosophy is footnotes to Plato”
+ Doesn’t rely on senses that can be deceived
+ we do seem to recognise goodness when we see it
+/- No evidence against or for
- Aristotle’s third man argument - is there a form for every breed of cat?
- Is there a form for everything eg) sneezes?
- How does an immaterial soul see the forms? - Peter Geach
- Why do we debate goodness if it’s a priori?
- we need empiricism to survive
- Just because we can imagine a perfect circle doesn’t mean one exists
- Philosopher Kings is snobby
- Ideas of justice may only exist in the world of language
