One of the questions that has faced and continues to face some of the philosophers of the world is "What is reality?" Plato addresses this question in his doctrine, the Theory of Forms. In an attempt to answer this question, he explains what the Forms are and how they affect the way the world is observed. These so-called Forms are the basis of the reality we perceive. The question one must ask him or her self is what are these forms, where do they come from, and how do they affect us as a society.
"A Platonic Form (Idea) is not a thought in someone's mind but something that exists per se as an immutable part of the structure of reality."(Luce, 99) This statement is the foundation of Plato's philosophy. What he is saying is that these forms are behind the way we see the world. In other words, they control the images and ideas that are presented to us. Two examples of such forms are ideal beauty and absolute goodness. When a person makes a comment like " That is a beautiful home." What is the difference between a beautiful home and a home that is not beautiful? This illustrates the point that Plato is attempting to make about the Forms functioning as a standard by which we compare the world to. In essence, these Forms serve as a measuring stick by which we make our judgements. In regards to the Form of absolute goodness, Plato describes this one as the all- powerful form. Here Plato suggests that the other Forms derive their meaning from the Form of absolute goodness. Some of the other Forms include Equality, circularity, Health and Justice. These forms cannot be seen nor can they be felt; however, they can be apprehended by the mind after suitable preparation and training (Luce, 100). These forms exist in everything we see, in all the decisions we make and it is these Forms that we perceive when we describe something as beautiful or right or even wrong. The Theory of Forms also has two significant underlying doctrines within its contents. The first one is the distinction between opinion and knowledge. One word that Plato uses to describe opinion is flawed. He explains that opinions are always changing due to anything from outside forces or simply just one's perception. For example, the people around can alter a person's opinion or even the type of room someone is in. External pressures are the cause of the variation in opinions ...
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...tself (Stump, 62).
In the Theory of Forms, Plato provides us with a possible answer to some of the questions that continually plague most people. The answer to the question "What is real" may never have a definitive answer. All one can do is to use the abilities given to him and try to arrive to their own conclusion based on what he or she knows. Whether the reality most of us perceive is true or not is difficult to determine. The Theory of Forms gives us a way of analyzing reality, but like all other doctrines it stops short of precisely defining reality. This inability to conclude the argument is the very same reason why this debate will continue on for as long as we live and probably our children and their children and so on. The pursuit of truth will continue to be the driving force behind the search for the answer to the question that can explain the significance of our existence.
Myla Modert
Plato
11/6/00
Works Cited
Stumpf, Samuel Enoch. Socrates to Sartre: A History of Philosophy. 1988, McGraw Hill Publishing New York City. PP 58-62.
Luce, J.V. An Introduction to Greek Philosophy. 1992, Thames an Hudson Ltd. London. PP 99-102
Moran, Sean. "Greek Conceptions of Virtue." Waterford Institute of Technology (n.d.): 1-5. Web. 30 Nov. 2013.
Only those who love knowledge and contemplate on the reality of things will achieve understanding of the forms. Philosophers, who by definition are knowledge lovers, are the only beings who can reach true knowledge. This concept has to be taken a step further because in The Republic, Plato states that philosophers should be the rulers since they are the only ones who hold the form of the good. Plato seems to be saying that it is not enough to know the forms of tables or trees, one must know the greatest form--form of the good--in order to rule.
Since the Forms are stable and perfect, knowledge of the Forms is infallible and certain. Plato differentiates between true knowledge - knowledge of the Forms, and true opinion - claims about particulars, which can be based on empirical testing of our world as well as on our implicit knowledge of the Forms. We might claim that the sun will rise tomorrow, but do not have true knowledge of this event, since nothing in our world is fixed. The sun, for example, is continuously changing temperature and size. Similarly, while a true opinion of the Form of Virtue might lead us to act virtuously in many situations, knowledge of Virtue would lead us to act with Virtue in every situation.
Plato’s view on existence can be understood by discussing his theory of Forms. The theory of Forms or Ideas is about the existence of ideas in higher form of reality, the existence of a reality inhabited by forms of all things and concepts. Plato used example of objects such as table and rock and concepts like Beauty and Justice to illustrate the notion of Forms. Plato further describes Forms as a being possessed by concepts. For example, Virtue has different characters; but they all have a common nature which makes them virtuous.
Robin Sowerby, The Greeks: An Introduction To Their Culture. Published in 1995 by Routledge Publishers.
Frost, Frank J. "Greek Society in the Age of Polis" (5th Edition) Pages 92, 93
Barnes, Jonathan. The Complete works of Aristotle. Revised ed. Vol. 2. Princeton: Princeton UP, 1984.
He argues that non-physical forms or ideas represent the most accurate reality. There exists a fundamental opposition between in the world like the object as a concrete, sensible object and the idea or concept of the objects. Forms are typically universal concepts. The world of appearance corresponds to the body. The world of truth corresponds with the soul. According to Plato, for any conceivable thing or property there is a corresponding Form, a perfect example of that or property is a tree, house, mountain, man, woman, Table and Chair, would all be examples of existing abstract perfect Ideas. Plato says that true and reliable knowledge rests only with those who can comprehend the true reality behind the world of everyday experience. In order to perceive the world of the Forms, individuals must undergo a difficult
Dodds, E. R., The Ancient Concept of Progress and Other Essays on Greek Literature and Belief, London. Oxford University Press, 1973.
Baird, Forrest E. Philosophic Classics Volume 1 Ancient Philosophy Third Edition Prentice Hall: Upper Saddle River, NJ; 2000
Plato contended that we have knowledge that exists before our birth. Our soul was directly aware of these universal forms, but this perfect knowledge was corrupted by birth. Plato believes in two separate worlds. One is the material world with which we experience through are senses. It exists within space and time and includes all objects. The other world is made up of immaterial and living force these two concepts we apprehend with our minds. According to Plato, this world of the forms is more real than the material world that we live in because our world only contains copies of the real things.
According to Plato, his Theory of Forms states perfection only lives in the realm of thought. There only exists one of every ideal and the rest is just a copy. This one creation is called a form, the most flawless representation of an idea. In the physical world everything is a copy of these forms and all copies are imperfect. Plato believed in two worlds; the intelligible world and the illusionistic world. The intelligible world is where everything is unchanging and eternal. We can only grasp the intelligible world with our mind. It is the world of ideas and not senses. A place where there are perfect forms of the things we know on Earth. According to Plato everything in the world we live in is an illusion. All objects are only shadows of their true forms. His theory further states every group of objects that have the same defying properties must have an ideal form. For example, in the class of wine glasses there must be one in particular that is the ideal wine glass. All others would fall under this ideal form.
Aristotle and Plato were both great thinkers but their views on realty were different. Plato viewed realty as taking place in the mind but Aristotle viewed realty is tangible. Even though Aristotle termed reality as concrete, he stated that reality does not make sense or exist until the mind process it. Therefore truth is dependent upon a person’s mind and external factors.
If we consider Plato’s ideas abstractions, we shall never grasp his meaning. But if we think of how a great artist sometimes manages to catch the vital meaning of an event on his canvas, we are coming closer to Plato’s theory. Take another example, how many of us have known someone for years when, suddenly, when one day something happens, and we see him for the first time as a “real person.” His personality has become alive and full of meaning in a way, which has nothing to do with his appearance or his attitude. Our two minds seem to look directly at one another. We feel we have a real contact with that person.
However, it is notoriously difficult to say what an ever-changing universe has to do with an unchanging Reality. Additionally, the contingent world we know is morally and aesthetically imperfect, to say the least. It follows that Reality, by contrast, must be supremely good and beautiful. This strand goes right back to Plato, and the idea that there exists a world that is more ‘real’ and more ‘true’ and the ‘so-called’ real world we inhabit in our embodied state. This is the world of the perfect Forms, but their relation to the particulars of which they are the Forms is difficult to describe adequately. How can two things that have absolutely nothing in common be related to each other in any way