Plato's Forms - A&P Flashcards
INTRO - define
Form of the Good - Highest form which all forms participate in (eternal unchanging concept part of an eternal realm) only reason (episteme) can lead to true knowledge (doxa)
INTRO - define both sides of the debate
Uses rationalism to come to conclusions / not based on empiricism.
Section 1: theme
The Forms
Section 1: AO1
THE FORMS
Heraclitus observed that ‘No man can step in the same river twice’, which acknowledged that the physical world is constantly changing. Plato insists, however, that there exist eternal, perfect, and immaterial forms of physical objects. These forms exist in a transcendent realm and are the true archetypes of things that we find in this world that are imperfect and flawed.
Section 1: AO2 FOR
THE FORMS
The one-over-many argument: We can recognize different particular ideas belonging to the same universal ideas. For example, we can recognize different dogs as a dog as we have an innate memory of the Form of the dog. This is because before birth the soul belonged to the world of the Forms
Section 1: AO2 AGAINST
THE FORMS
Wittgenstein – we recognize different dogs as dogs due to overlapping characteristics, not because of prior knowledge of the Forms.
Locke: Supports – we gain knowledge from experience. We recognize a dog as we have previously seen dogs and can recognize the characteristics of a dog and apply that knowledge to identify other dogs we may experience
Stephan Law – World of the Forms can lead to absurdities e.g the Form of the bogey
Section 2: theme
Forms hierarchy
Section 2: AO1
FoftheG
Forms compromise a dialectic process leading down from the form of the good moving from abstract concepts such as beauty and justice to things that Plato terms particulars e.g. the form of a dog
Form of the Good illuminates and gives value to the rest of the Forms.
Section 2: AO2 FOR
FoftheG
The argument of recollection: people can recognize beauty in different things such as a sunset/flower. Although they are different our soul has previously witnessed the Form of Beauty before being incarnated in our body and can still recognize it
Brian Davies argues there must be true forms of abstract concepts, such as beauty or justice, as otherwise, we would never be able to debate and discuss them must be an ideal standard of good/ form of the good
Section 2: AO2 AGAINST
FoftheG
Beauty and justice are subjective - different people find different things beautiful it is not universal
Popper: Plato was searching for beauty and permanence in a world where is there is none and we should accept the world as it is.
A way of coping with the death of Socrates
Section 3: Theme
The Platonic thesis and the Form of the Good, if understood in more of a metaphorical sense, offer greater chance to develop a strong epistemological footing
Section 3: AO1
METAPHOR
Analogy of the Cave and the Platonic thesis of the Forms urges us to question our beliefs in order to gain deeper epistemological positioning.
Section 3: AO2 FOR
METAPHOR
People claim that they are lovers of beauty but never question what beauty truly is. Plato’s forms engages us to question and find deeper meanings and truths about the world
That Misses the point the analogy of the cave could be used to illustrate how we are too concerned with materialistic concepts in the world instead of focussing on the natural beauty and truths. Especially valid in the 21st century with a consumerist culture. Urges us to question and connect
Section 3: AO2 AGAINST
METAPHOR
Idea of Forms is ridiculous: We can question reality and knowledge without having to postulate on a separate metaphysical world of perfection
- Mel Thompson, Plato seems to dismiss the beauty of our world, with the “dark and dingy cave hardly being a fitting representation” of our world.
