Platos Forms Flashcards
What type of philosopher was Plato
Plato was the first rationalist philosopher
Why did Plato say this world cannot be a place of true and certain knowledge
Plato said that because nothing in this world stays the same ( everything is in a contestant state of change) this world cannot be the place of true and certain knowledge as things Have to be fixed in order to gain true and certain knowledge
What did Plato conclude from the fact that our physical world cannot be the object of true knowledge
Plato said because our physical world cannot be the object of true knowledge there must be another unchanging eternal realm about which we can have true knowledge. This is called the realm of the forms
What is there in this other realm
In the realm of the forms there is a perfect version of everything. Plato calls this the form of something. He describes a form as permanent, unchanging , eternal and known to the mind alone
What other types of forms are there
Perfect ideas of the abstract exist in the Forms e.g goodness, justice and beauty
What did Plato say about our knowledge of the forms
Plato explained that we have an innate understanding of the Forms from birth because our immortal souls experienced the forms both before being born and in between incarnations
What does plate then say happened to our understanding of the forms
Plato then explains that we forgot the forms and that all knowledge is just us remembering the forms when we reflect on them - anamnesis
What does Plato say about the relationship between the world of appearances and the realm of forms
Plato talks about how the world of appearances and realm of the forms are in ratio to each other and this means that anything that is true in our physical world is even more fully true in the realm of the forms
If we need the sun and our eyes to see objects in our world what do we need in the realm of the forms
If in our world we need eyes and the sun to see objects, in the realm of the Forms , to see clearly we need our intellect and the form of the good ( sun equivalent)
What is the form of the good
The form of the good is the purest,most abstract form, it is furthest away from the from the physical world.
-All forms participate in the form of the good
What does Plato say will happen if we know the form of the good
Plato says if we know the form of the good then we will do good and therefore we will make better decisions
What is below the form of the good in the hierarchy of the forms
-Below the form of the good are other higher forms such as the form of beauty,truth wisdom and courage
What is below the higher forms in the hierarchy of Forms
Below the higher Forms come the particular Forms such as objects like textbooks and hoovers ect
What are platos ideas about democracy
- Plato condemned democracy as it is rule by the majority-and the majority of people are ruled by their senses and not reason. They struggle to see past the illusions of this world
- Plato said only the philosopher- who investigates and questions- can think independently of his or her senses and see into the realm of the Forms
- only the philosopher is capable of true knowledge rather than opinion or judgment-so only the philosopher can make correct judgement
- The real Philosopher wants to put their wisdom in to practice by teaching others - countries should therefore be ruled by philosopher kings
What are the higher forms
- The higher forms are all concepts such as Truth, beauty and justice
- They are all aspects of goodness because they all participate in the perfection of the form of the good
