The forms Flashcards
What are the 4 aspects of goodness?
Justice, Wisdom, Courage and Beauty
What does Plato believe we have an intuitive knowledge about?
The form of goodness and how we are able to recognise people’s actions for being good or bad.
Why do people act imorally according to Plato?
Ignorance
What happens in the physical world and how is it different to the World of the forms?
The physical world is always in a constant state of change, the objects therefore can never be of completely true knowledge. The world of the forms however is eternal and always stays the same.
What do we have an ‘inner understanding’ of?
Ideal forms
Due to our intuitive knowledge what does Plato believe?
Our souls have experienced to world of the forms before our birth and therefore are immortal
Although we are aware of the forms what do we experience on a daily basis?
The phenomena of the imitations around us
What is a form?
Unchanging, perfect and eternal
How many criticisms are there?
8
What is the subjective criticism?
Instead of having innate knowledge perhaps our idea of beauty etc has just been passed on through generations. Every one has a different idea on what good is so surely this highlights how there is no objective reality that corresponds to good.
‘Where does it end’ criticism
Are there forms of match sticks and deodorant bottles? What about the things that didn’t exist when Plato created his idea? Are new forms made?
The lacking of explanation criticism
Plato doesn’t explain the relationship between forms and particulars
What are particulars
Individual explamples - cat pen dog
Plato stated there are things that are less or more real, why do people criticise this?
It doesn’t make sense. Something is either real or it is not.
The third man criticism
This criticism was levelled by Aristotle. Suppose we have a man. He is a copy of a form of a man. There must then exist a form of a form of a man. The chain is infinite.
The ‘cat’ criticism 🐱🐱🐱
Do we have a form of a cat? If so is there a perfect form of a tabby cat and then a Siamese? Or is there just one perfect cat? If this is the case Forms stop being universals and they degenerate.
The comprehension criticism
If this world and the world of the forms is so far removed then how are we able to learn from the world of the forms?
The unpleasant criticism
Are there forms of evil and forms of cancer and mud and poo? If so the world of the forms isn’t so pleasant but if not then Platos idea falls apart.
What is a universal?
Perfect forms and imperfect copies
What is the Demiurge ?
A God who created the world from material which was already present. He wants the best for humanity however is not the source of all goodness.
Explain Platos epistemology ?
Plato teaches us that no one knows the true meaning of goodness- it is the highest form of knowledge and understanding. He tells us true reality is somewhere else and we only see what we wish.
What is AJ Ayer opinion on Plato and the forms?
When we talk about good or bad we are simply only expressing our emotional reaction and there is no reference to knowledge.
There are two supportive points for Plato, what are they.
Objective reality of things - we all do have a understanding of things, no one looks at the holocaust and thinks it is good.
Personality - Platos theory highlights that there is more to a person than your body. This is accepted by most people today.
