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philosophy (by me) > plato > Flashcards

plato Flashcards

1
Q

what did plato believe?

A

that there was a greater reality beyond the world that we experience

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2
Q

what is a priori knowledge?

A

knowledge which is not dependent on experience ‘prior’ to experience.

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3
Q

summaries the Cave Analogy

A
  • a group of prisoners chained up in an underground cave
  • all they can see are shadows which as projected on the walls by a fire
  • they believe that the shadows are all that exists
  • if one was to escape to the outside of the cave they would discover a a world that was real and realise that the shadows were only shadows of the real world
  • in attempt to pass on his knowledge to other prisoners he would not be believed- they may threaten to kill him.
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4
Q

who are the prisoners in the analogy?

A

ordinary people in our world

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5
Q

what is the cave in the analogy?

A

the empirical world that we see and hear around us

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6
Q

what are the chains in the analogy?

A

the senses that restrict the way we experience things

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7
Q

what are the shadows in the analogy?

A

our everyday sense experiences

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8
Q

what does the escape in the analogy represent?

A

a philosopher who can access knowledge

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9
Q

what does the difficult ascent represent in the analogy?

A

the difficulty gaining philosophical knowledge

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10
Q

what does the outside world represent in the analogy?

A

the real world. the world of the forms

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11
Q

what does the sun represent in the analogy?

A

the highest of all the forms, the form of the good

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12
Q

what does the return to the cave symbolise?

A

the philosopher once enlightened feels it is his duty to free and educate others

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13
Q

what does the difficulty in adjusting to the darkness represent in the analogy?

A

once the philosopher knows the truth it is difficult to experience the things that an ordinary person does

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14
Q

what does the persecution given by other prisoners represent?

A

like secretes, who was executed by the leaders of Athens, this philosopher will be ridiculed and threatened.

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15
Q

metaphysics- in terms of Plato’s conclusions. (what is real)

A

this world is not real. the real world is unchanging, this is the case in the world of the forms

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16
Q

epistemology- in terms of Plato’s conclusions. (how do we gain knowledge?)

A

knowledge is gained through the mind (a priori)

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17
Q

what is a posteriori knowledge?

A

knowledge gained through sense experience

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18
Q

politics- in terms of plato’s conclusions (who should rule?)

A

philosophers should. they are the only ones who have knowledge. democracy put power into the hands of the majority who lack knowledge,(like the people in the cave)

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19
Q

(issues with the cave) leadership

A

why should philosopher rule in the world of ‘shadows’ if they have knowledge of the world of the forms?
is deeper thought necessary?

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20
Q

(issues with the cave) survival

A

we need our senses in order to survive though they may not always be reliable

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21
Q

(issues with the cave) proof

A

plato offers no evidence that another realm exists, and he is unclear of how the two realms relate to each other

22
Q

(issues with the cave) elitism

A

the philosopher is not that different from any other normal person. having two groups of people- those who have knowledge and those who are ignorant, is too simplistic.

23
Q

define ‘forms’

A

the name Plato gives to ideal concepts that exist in reality

24
Q

define ‘particulars’/ ‘phenomina’

A

the name that Plato gives to the objects in the empirical world which are imperfect copies of the form

25
Q

what are unchanging, timeless and meta-physical ?

A

the world of the forms

26
Q

how are the forms known?

A

through intellect and reason(only through the mind)

27
Q

inane knowledge

A

our knowledge of the forms is innate- we are born with it

28
Q

what term describes recollecting a priori knowledge

A

anamnesis

29
Q

what do the forms have in common?

A

goodness

30
Q

why are forms perfect

A

they come from the form of the good

31
Q

what is happening when we think something is good

A

we are recollecting through anamnesis

32
Q

what is the intelligible realm?

A

the world of the forms

33
Q

what is the perceptible realm?

A

the world of appearance

34
Q

what characteristics define particulars?

A

imperfect, physical, constantly changing, pass in and out of existence

35
Q

what does immutable mean?

A

unchanging

36
Q

what is the from of the good?

A

the ultimate good, the thing that all the forms have in common.

37
Q

why is the form of the good so important?

A
  • it is the reason that all form are good
  • it enables us to see the world of the forms
  • it is the ultimate end in itself
38
Q

phrase about the sun

A

good is the mind as the sun is to the eye

39
Q

(FOR) identifying things that are the same but different

‘one over many’

A

(a small child can identify a cat even though they’ve never seen this particular cat before, because of the form of cats) we have an innate ability to recognise the forms- without this is would be impossible to explain sameness

40
Q

(FOR) the ideal standard

A

the form is the ideal standard of a property they are not subject to opinion they give absolute ideas about what goodness (for example) is.

41
Q

(AGAINST) Wittgenstein

A

there is no ‘one over many’ there are just characteristics which overlap

42
Q

(AGAINST) third man argument

A

we need a third man to explain the similarities between us and the forms otherwise there would be no explanation

43
Q

(AGAINST) absurdity

A

must there be a form for everything? dirt, hair Stephen Law ‘even a form of a bogey’?

44
Q

(AGAINST) invention and extinction

A

how could, in the world of the forms, an iPad and a tree exist at the same time?

45
Q

(AGAINST) the forms are invaluable

A

knowledge of them takes us away from developing useful scientific knowledge

46
Q

(AGAINST) evolution

A

explains why thing have the same or similar characteristics.

47
Q

(FOR) senses deceive

A

arguments from rationalism- knowledge is accessed through reason alone

48
Q

(FOR) A.N whitehead

A

plato formed the basis for all western philosophy

49
Q

(AGAINST) if there is only one absolute form of good…

A

why do we argue over right and wrong - what is good?

50
Q

(AGAINST) analogy

A

weak method of reasoning

philosophy (by me) (3 decks)

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