Plato's Theory Of Forms

 Plato's Theory of Forms is an epistemological response to the nature of reality. This means Plato attempts to answer the question 'what is true reality?'. The idea is that every object in the world we see, is a less-perfect copy of an ideal object found in a world Plato calls the 'Realm of the Forms'. Our souls have visited the Realm of the Forms before entering our bodies and so this is how we can identify common objects such as a 'chair' or a 'cat'.

Plato puts forward the 'cave analogy' to emphasise his theory of Forms. In this, the 'cave' represents the world we live in (a world Plato calls 'world of appearances'), and prisoners that are chained up represent trapped humanity. The prisoners are facing a wall where they can see shadows of objects they believe to be real, and in order to truely understand the shadows one has to escape and make the journey out of the cave. When a prisoner leaves the cave they will see true reality in the form of the outside world and so have sought true knowledge. This supports Plato's Theory of Forms because it shows that an escaped prisoner can understand his reality, much like we as individuals can understand our world as long as we continue to pursue philosophical knowledge.

Arguments for Existence of Forms

Plato sometimes writes as if he takes the existence of Forms for granted, as a matter of faith. But sometimes he offers arguments for them. Each argument is connected to a function Plato has in mind for Forms to play. Some of these “reasons” for believing in Forms don’t really add up to arguments, but some do. Plato, in any event, was not very systematic about his arguments.

1 Forms are objects corresponding to Socratic definitions.

A Form is supposed to provide an objective basis for moral concepts. A definition is correct just in case it accurately describes a Form. The definition of Justice, e.g., is that statement which correctly tells us What Justice Is.

2 Forms are objects of recollection.

The knowledge we get when we are in possession of a Socratic definition is a priori, not empirical. So Forms are the entities for such a priori (= recollectible) truths to be about.

3 Arguments of Imperfection.

Forms are the real entities to which the objects of our sensory experience (approximately) correspond. We make judgments about such properties as equal, circular, square, etc., even though we have never actually experienced any of them in perception. Forms are the entities that perfectly embody these characteristics we have in mind even though we have never experienced them perceptually.

4 Argument from knowledge (“from the sciences”).

What is our knowledge “about”? When we know something, what is our knowledge knowledge of? Plato supposes that there is a class of stable, permanent, and unchanging objects that warrant our knowledge claims.

5 One Over Many

 A famous passage in the Republic (596a) suggests a semantic role for the Forms (“there is one Form for each set of many things to which we give the same name”). That is, when you use the word ‘just’ and I use the word ‘just’, what makes it one and the same thing that we’re talking about? Plato’s answer is: the Form of Justice, the “one over the many.”

    Plato believes that there is a non-conventionalist answer to questions of meaning: there is some one thing that is referred to by ‘just’ whenever it is used. Hence, when you talk about justice and I talk about justice, we are talking about the same thing. We belong to the same world, not each of us in his own private world. If we disagree in what we apply the term ‘just’ to, we cannot both be right.

    The last three of these arguments are especially important. They correspond to three of the problems the Forms are supposed to solve. We’ll look at the first of these in the Phaedo, and at the others later.

The Wise Sayings (Quotes) Of Plato

Below are some of the wise sayings of Plato gotten from his The Republic

   

  “You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.”

    “Justice means minding one’s own business and not meddling with other men’s concerns.”

    “We are twice armed if we fight with faith.”

    “He who commits injustice is ever made more wretched than he who suffers it.”

    “For a man to conquer himself is the first and noblest of all victories."

      "Do not train a child to learn by force or harshness; but direct them to it by what amuses their minds, so that you may be better able to discover with accuracy the peculiar bent of the genius of each”.  


"False words are not only evil in themselves, but they infect the soul with evil”battle."All learning has an emotional base."   

“Justice in the life and conduct of the State is possible only as first it resides in the hearts and souls of the citizens."

"There are two things a person should never be angry at, what they can help, and what they cannot."

“Love is the joy of the good, the wonder of the wise, the amazement of the Gods."

"Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a harder battle."


“Lack of activity destroys the good condition of every human being, while movement and methodical physical exercise save it and preserve it."


“The direction in which education starts a man will determine his future in life."


“Ignorance, the root and stem of all evil."


“Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something."

“Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything."  


"Music is the movement of sound to reach the soul for the education of its virtue."


“Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything.    

“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a harder battle."

                                             

The Definition of Plato's Theory of Forms

The basic questions here are: What is 'real?' Is the physical world the 'real' world? Or is there a deeper reality beyond the physical world? 

Plato offered an answer to these questions in his Theory of Forms. Now let me explain fully what this theory means.

The ancient Greek philosopher Plato did a lot to change the way we think about the world, in everything from mathematics to ethics to logic. But perhaps one of his most influential contributions to philosophy was the Theory of Forms. In basic terms, Plato's Theory of Forms asserts that the physical world is not really the 'real' world; instead, ultimate reality exists beyond our physical world. Plato discusses this theory in a few different dialogues, including the most famous one, called 'The Republic.' It is also likely that Plato inherited some of this theory from his mentor, Socrates.

Plato's philosophy asserts that there are two realms: the physical realm and the spiritual realm. The physical realm is the material thing we see and interact with on a daily basis; this physical realm is changing and imperfect, as we know all too well. The spiritual realm, however, exists beyond the physical realm. Plato calls this spiritual realm the Realm of Forms (also called the Realm of Ideas or Realm of Ideals). Plato's Theory of Forms asserts that the physical realm is only a shadow, or image, of the true reality of the Realm of Forms.

So what are these Forms, according to Plato? 

The Forms are abstract, perfect, unchanging concepts or ideals that transcend time and space; they exist in the Realm of Forms. Even though the Forms are abstract, that doesn't mean they are not real. In fact, the Forms are more 'real' than any individual physical objects. So, concepts like Redness, Roundness, Beauty, Justice, or Goodness are Forms (and thus they are commonly capitalized). Individual objects like a red book, a round ball, a beautiful girl, a just action, or a good person reside in the physical realm and are simply different examples of the Forms.

Aristotle believed morality could not be eternal and unchanging simply because moral issues have to respond to such changing situations in both time and place. Aristotle believed that the 'form' for things exists within the things themselves. This comes from experience. Another problem was the uncertainness of what the relation is between the Forms and the objects of everyday experience. Plato equates the Form with knowledge and the 'particulars' with opinion. Opinion can be wrong, but knowledge is infallible. Knowledge exists in the realm of the Forms and is independent of the objects of everyday experience. Plato does not argue that we must dismiss the objects of our senses as completely false because they act as a basis on the long journey towards knowledge. This therefore means Forms would not be completely separate from the particulars. On the whole I believe that Plato's theory is a speculation not to dismiss and there are points, which are very valid and questions our reality and existence. But there criticisms which affect the way we see things; 'what is goodness', this is a changing answer and I believe cannot be answered. Plato does not really present the Forms as a theory; what is the nature of forms? He talks about forms as distinct and separate things that are unchangeable, perfect, eternal and invisible, but what does it revel about nature? He insists that forms exist independently of the mind but they are invisible to sense.

The General Ethics of Plato

Many of the Greeks believed that harmonious functionality within society was a priority. This was certainly the case for Plato, but his inquiry goes deeper, in particular, there were three pillars that defined his ethical prose - Justice, Beauty and Truth. Plato fetched for a more common ground between the three. He felt that all three were closely connected. In Plato's mind, his definitions of Justice, Beauty and Truth provided contextual answers to “the Nature of Things”, more importantly, the “the Nature of Society”.

In Plato’s Republic we see one of the earliest attempts at a systematic theory of ethics. Plato wants to find a good definition for “justice,” a good criterion for calling something “just.”

Maybe justice is “telling the truth and paying one’s debts.” But no, Plato says, for sometimes it is just to withhold the truth or not return what was borrowed.

How about “Do good to one’s friends and harm to one’s enemies”? But that doesn’t work, says Plato, because any definition of justice in terms of “doing good” doesn’t tell us much. It only repeats the question, “What is just?”

Plato then suggests that “justice” is twofold which are: 

• Justice for the state, and
•  Justice for the soul.

Justice for the state is achieved when all basic needs are met. He is quoted as saying that "if everybody should mind his business without intruding into others' business, then there will be just state.

Three classes of people are needed: artisans and workers to produce goods, soldiers to defend the state, and rulers to organize everything. But you cannot have a just state without just men, especially just rulers. And so we must also achieve justice of the soul.

He believed the soul had three parts: reason, appetite, and honor. The desires of these three parts conflicted with each other. For example, we might have a thirst (appetite) for water, but resist accepting it from an enemy for fear of poison (reason). Justice of the soul requires that each part does its proper function, and that their balance is correct.

Justice of the soul merges with justice of the state in that men fall into one of the three classes depending on how the three parts of their soul are balanced. One’s class depends on early training, but mostly, persons are born brick-layers, soldiers, and kings – depending on the balance between the three parts of their soul.


 Plato’s ideal of philosopher kings. To bring about the ideal state, Plato says, “philosophers [must] become kings… or those now called kings [must]… genuinely and adequately philosophize.” Among other things, the philosopher king is one who can see The Good, that transcendent entity to which we compare something when we call it “good.” The idea of the philosopher-king still appeals to philosophers today, though it has rarely been achieved.

It is against this ideal state, ruled by philosopher kings, that Plato can compare other forms of state. The state under martial law (Sparta) is the least disastrous. Oligarchy (Corinth) and democracy (Athens) are worse, and tyranny (Syracuse) is the worst. These problem states come from a lack of justice in the soul. For example, a state of martial law comes from the restriction of appetite by the wrong soul-part: honor instead of reason.

Plato’s ethical theory is this: proper balance in the tripartate soul and proper balance in the tripartate state, ruled by philosopher kings, brings justice and happiness.

It is clear that nobody believes this anymore, but Plato’s was an interesting first attempt at a systematic ethics.

THE LIFE AND WORKS OF PLATO (427-347 B.C)

Plato was the most famous student of Socrates, and the teacher of Aristotle. He was born in Collytus in Attica in 427 B.C. He was the son of an aristocratic father, Ariston, and his mother was Perictione. His father was descended from the ancient Athenian king Kodros (Codrus), and his mother was a descendant of Solon, the Athenian lawgiver.

He had two brothers, Glaucon and Adeimantus. He started off with the name Aristoklis, but was re-named Plato in his teens because he had a wide sternum and forehead. His philosophical dialogues have survived the ages, and they not only exercised enormous influence over ancient Greek philosophy, but more generally, they influenced the entire Western philosophical tradition.

Plato, among others, wrote The Apology of Socrates and The Symposium, where he talks about the nature of love, while The Republic described the ideal State. Thirty-six works are attributed to Plato and all, apart from Apology (of Socrates), are interactive. Plato was also the founder of the Academia (Academy).

As a child of Athenian noble parents, Plato was educated by the best teachers of the era in philosophy, music, and gymnastics. Initially, he studied poetry and was a poet, but he was also an athlete.

Reading and writing were taught by Dionysius, gymnastics was taught by Ariston the Argeios, and music was taught by Akragantinos Metellos. He was also influenced by Kratylos (Cratylus), a follower of Heraclitus, who dealt with tragic reason. For Plato, his spiritual and moral compass was established from his encounter with the “Man of Athens,” Socrates, at the age of 20.

It should still be noted that his early personal ambition was probably political, though his relationship with Socratic teachings and their ethos permanently altered his moral and spiritual orientation. This made him destroy his early poetic works and he switched to philosophy.

Moreover, he quickly felt aversion for the violence that had been taking place in the city. After the fall of the oligarchy, he hoped to improve the situation with the restoration of democracy. Eventually, however, Plato found that there was no place for a conscientious person in Athenian politics.

After Socrates was sentenced to death, a legal consequence of asking politico-philosophic questions of his students, Plato, along with other followers of Socrates, escaped to Megara. Plato was close to 30 years old at this time. He stayed for some time at Megara and from there went to Cyrene, where he studied geometry, and then traveled to Egypt. He traveled down to Italy and from there went to Sicily, where he became friends with the Greek politician who ruled Sicily, Dion.

He had been invited by Dionysius the Elder to try bring back democracy to politics. However, Plato was sold by the tyrant Dionysius as a slave to someone, because Plato attempted to convince him about the principles of Justice that should govern the exercise of power. He was later freed with a horde of silver coins.

In 387 B.C., Plato was again in his home country where he founded the Academy, which took its name from the place where the Temple of the hero Akadimos stood. In 347 B.C., it is believed that Plato died peacefully in his sleep, and he was buried at the Academy where he taught.

Plato And His Philosophical View Of Man