Plato's Theory Of Knowledge Summary

Plato believes there is two types of worlds that are of knowledge and opinion. As he understands, what is an every lasting reality is a true knowledge, which is the heart of what needs to be understood and everything people need to know. As he says for opinion, it will be only successful some times, as knowledge will always be right and successful at all times when implemented. An opinion for him has no base on true knowledge, but pure people’s speculations of their points of views. A true knowledge will never be influenced by any changes and it cannot be affected by anything; it will stand alone without changing. In Plato’s argument of how men will acquire knowledge in life, he says that knowledge resides in men’s immortal soul prior to his birth; this is how men will first encounter what he calls the “Forms” in that

If there was no knowledge of such “Forms”, we will not be able to classify them and its definition. In order for him to call a true “Forms”, it needs to have certain characteristics along with their functions and requirements. For this, the “Forms” needs to be unchangeable; it has to be eternal. It can only be understood by the intellect and not by the senses; the source needs to be Divine, and lastly it has no physical existence. Moreover, he will definitely attempt to define the different types of “Forms” called beauty, justice and the good. Even though we have not seen beauty, justice, and the good, we can say what is close to its meaning as possible. To illustrate this we will say the girl has beautiful eyes. Would this statement defines what beautiful means? No, but it put us closer to its truthful definition without seeing a perfect example of it. Therefore, people’s knowledge will be carried from one vehicle (the human body) to and another vehicle per Plato’s theory of knowledge, forms and recollection, the soul will be transported from the underworld to the real world of the