Plato's Forms

Question 1

define particulars

Answer 1

earthly/material things

Question 2

define forms

Answer 2

true reality that lies beyond or behind the particulars

Question 3

define concepts

Answer 3

what really interested Plato
justice 
goodness
beauty
courage

Question 4

for Plato the forms explain what?

Answer 4

how we recognise particulars

Question 5

why is a posteriori reasoning challenged by Plato?

Answer 5

because everything changes

Question 6

what does Plato answer with his theory of the forms?

Answer 6

the problem of recognition

Question 7

describe the realm of the particulars

Answer 7

inside the cave
phenomena
the world we experience

Question 8

describe the realm of the forms

Answer 8

outside the cave
ideals
the world beyond the world of the senses

Question 9

what did Plato think about particular things of beauty (such as art)?

Answer 9

a pale imitation of the form of beauty

Question 10

why might looking at art be a problem for recognising beauty for Plato?

Answer 10

it is a posteriori reasoning

Question 11

how did Plato explain our recognition of beauty?

Answer 11

memory of the world of the forms

Question 12

why might Plato have a problem recognising ‘particular’ instances of justice?

Answer 12

because everything changes

Question 13

how might Plato have recognised ‘particular’ instances of justice?

Answer 13

memory of the forms

Question 14

Plato was convinced that behind each object or concept was somethings…….

Answer 14

essence

Question 15

what did essence enable us to do?

Answer 15

know what something is

Question 16

what did Plato call the essence?

Answer 16

forms

Question 17

how, for Plato do we know that a dog is a dog and not a horse?

Answer 17

because it has the essence of a dog

Question 18

how do we know that giving to the poor is just?

Answer 18

it has the essence of justice

Question 19

what is knowledge for Plato?

Answer 19

not learnt behaviour
is known a priori (through reason not experience)
the forms are remembered

Question 20

how do we remember the forms for Plato?

Answer 20

our soul gets knowledge through the realm of the forms

when we are born our body traps the soul and all the knowledge within it

Question 21

describe the forms

Answer 21

immutable
eternal
separate
independant
perfect
blueprint
immaterial
absolute
truth
source of all knowledge

Question 22

describe the particulars

Answer 22

phenomena- physical world
pale imitation- illusions/shadows
flux/changing- therefore no truth of reality
resemblance
opinion