Plato's forms / ideals

Question 1

different worlds for plato

Answer 1

2

spiritual and physical but you cannot trust the physical world

Question 2

what does plato believe

Answer 2

Heraclitus-‘No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it is not the same river and he is not the same man.’
- ‘Constant state of flux’
SO CANNOT trust a posteriori knowledge as everything changes

Question 3

whats the analogy of the divided line?

Answer 3

we have knowledge of the visible world (illusion and belief) and of the intelligible world (understanding and pure reason)
the soul is split and wants to return to the world of the forms which is why we have a dimmed knowledge (the shadows and our a priori knowledge)

explains differences in human thoughts once the form of the good has been assessed.

• without the a priori knowledge from the form of the good we only have visible knowledge based on belief and illusion.
• can’t trust this knowledge nor physical world as its delusion and a post knowledge is invaluable .
• used to show differences between a pri and post
• forms = allow us to access intelligible knowledge which uses pure thought and reason to extend our thoughts and open our minds

Question 4

hierarchy

Answer 4

• form of good at top - where all knowledge comes from
• then universal qualities - truth, justice, beauty
• then concepts and ideals
• then physical living objects
• then physical inanimate objects

Question 5

what are forms

Answer 5

• unchanged
• permanent
• eternal and so can be trusted unlike anything in the physical world

not shape just essence of an object

Question 6

link to cave

Answer 6

the sun = form of the good

allows him to see the truth and the true form/form of the good in everything

Question 7

professor griswold

Answer 7

thought it was debatable whether plato thought there were forms of material objects such as beds, chairs as plato never directly answered this

Question 8

Rings of Gyges

Answer 8

• you cannot separate moral knowledge from any other type of knowledge
• whole idea hinges on platos story of the ring of gyges which poses the question, are we good because we are only afraid of getting caught.
  plato would say that you couldnt have knowledge of a handgun that is independent from moral knowledge
  knowledge is never morally neutral

Question 9

what is plato only interested in

Answer 9

Only interested in higher forms such as beauty and justice

only those with knowledge of this can govern society- philosophers kings