Plato's Theory Of Forms

821 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Education in plato's republic

The Greeks are credited with inventing philosophy and it was believed that whoever pursued a deeper understanding in a subject was a philosopher. Since then, the subject of philosophy has grown and has helped us analyze complicated questions such as what is real and what is beauty. The questions encountered in philosophy can fall under four areas, but in this essay we will focus on one of them, Metaphysics. Metaphysics is the branch of philosophy that deals with questions relating to the physical world. Further, in life we encounter many physical objects in which we can touch and feel. However, what makes these objects real? Plato introduced his metaphysics idea of Theory of Forms, which presents a view of what makes an object real. In this paper, I will touch upon the Theory of Forms and explain that a world of forms does exist separately from concrete/permanent things.
One of the greatest philosophers to contribute the philosophy is Plato, who was a student of Socrates. Plato introduced the Theory of Forms, which states that what is real is not the objects we see, but rather the idea of Forms (Moore and Bruder, n.d., 35). Plato’s theory states that the objects we see in life, such as a chair, are not real and are only an object noticeable because it participates in the idea of a Form. The idea of Forms is what defines and makes an object such as a chair real. Further, in the book Philosophy The Power of Ideas by Brooke Noel Moore and Kenneth Bruder, the authors use an example of two beautiful objects to help explain Plato’s Theory of Forms. In the example, a beautiful statue and a beautiful house are used and it is expressed that they both have something in common, beauty. Moore and Bruder state that beauty is a type of form a...

... middle of paper ...

...
Aristotle goes further by saying that not only is the first step to determine if a thing is real, but to determine its substance (Moore and Bruder, n.d., 63). According to Moore and Bruden, substance has a double meaning. Substance is not only referring to the individual thing but also how it compares to other things (Moore and Bruder, n.d., 63). Aristotle did not stop there and mentions how ten different categories are used to describe and view things (Moore and Bruder, n.d., 64). These categories are quantity, quality, relationships, place, time, posture, constitution, passivity, and activity. All of these categories are great and help really describe and characterize a thing or object. Also, these categories show that we are very curious human beings and it takes categories like these to really satisfy our craving of what something is.

Show More
Related

  • Comparing Descartes' Meditations on First Philosophy and Plato's The Republic

    1499 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the field of philosophy there can be numerous answers to a general question, depending on a particular philosopher's views on the subject. Often times an answer is left undetermined. In the broad sense of the word and also stated in the dictionary philosophy can be described as the pursuit of human knowledge and human values. There are many different people with many different theories of knowledge. Two of these people, also philosophers, in which this paper will go into depth about are Descartes and Plato. Descartes' Meditations on First Philosophy and Plato's The Republic are the topics that are going to be discussed in this paper.

    Read More

  • Rene Descartes, Nagel And Plato's Approach To Understanding The Difference Between Soul And Soul

    931 Words  | 2 Pages

    The differences of mind and soul have intrigued mankind since the dawn of time, Rene Descartes, Thomas Nagel, and Plato have addressed the differences between mind and matter. Does the soul remain despite the demise of its material extension? Is the soul immaterial? Are bodies, but a mere extension of forms in the physical world? Descartes, Nagel, and Plato agree that the immaterial soul and the physical body are distinct entities.

    Read More

  • A Critical Analysis of Plato's and Sartre's Views on Existence

    1820 Words  | 4 Pages

    For Plato, Forms are eternal and changeless, but there is a relationship between these eternal and changeless Forms and particular things we perceive by means of our senses in the world. These particular things change in accordance to the perceiver and the perceiver’s environment and this is why Plato thought that such things do not possess real existence. For Plato, onl...

    Read More

  • The Educated Imagination, by Northrop Frye, Bird by Bird, by Anne Lamott, and The Republic, by Plato

    1192 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...of a chair is only an illusion to trick the viewer into thinking that their seeing an actual chair. Plato argues that this is not useful in society, since it is not truth. His argument is very narrow minded in that it only sees value in objects which have a concrete practical use. Whereas, a painters work doesn’t have a function other than to provide beauty which can enhance one’s life experience.

    Read More

  • The Argument of Dualism

    1030 Words  | 3 Pages

    . Its most famous defender is Descartes, who argues that as a subject of conscious thought and experience, he cannot consist simply of spatially extended matter. His essential nature must be non-m...

    Read More

  • Plato’s Theory of The Soul in The Republic

    1754 Words  | 4 Pages

    Plato’s Republic introduces a multitude of important and interesting concepts, of topics ranging from music, to gender equality, to political regime. For this reason, many philosophers and scholars still look back to The Republic in spite of its age. Yet one part that stands out in particular is Plato’s discussion of the soul in the fourth book of the Republic. Not only is this section interesting, but it was also extremely important for all proceeding moral philosophy, as Plato’s definition has been used ever since as a standard since then. Plato’s confabulation on the soul contains three main portions: defining each of the three parts and explanation of their functions, description of the interaction of the parts, and then how the the parts and their interaction motivate action. This essay will investigate each segment, and seek to explain their importance.

    Read More

  • Plato’s Theory of Forms

    1721 Words  | 4 Pages

    tied down so that they may not move or look backwards. All they see is

    Read More

  • Platos "The Symposium"

    2183 Words  | 5 Pages

    value of form and thought can be seen throughout many of the works of art. Plato said that

    Read More

  • Positions of the Greek Philosophers in Rafael's Painting

    1562 Words  | 4 Pages

    Plato is placed directly in the middle of the painting, walking beside Aristotle, and holding an animated conversation. Plato wears red clothing, wears no shoes, has long hair, and a long beard. In one hand he holds a book, while his other hand has a single index finger pointing toward the sky. Each of these characteristics describes Plato and his philosophy in a specific manner. The most obvious characteristic about Plato’s portrayal is his index finger pointing toward the sky. This seems to represent his philosophy about ideas, or forms. Plato believed that behind everything in the “sensible world” there is the “intelligible world” which consists of all of these forms and ideas. Plato believed that these forms are immutable, they are not ph...

    Read More

  • The Unmoved Mover: God in Aristotle’s Metaphysics

    1471 Words  | 3 Pages

    Book XII of the Metaphysics opens with a clear statement of its goal in the first line of Chapter One: to explore substances as well as their causes and principles. With this idea in mind, Chapter One delineates the three different kinds of substances: eternal, sensible substances; perishable, sensible substances; and immovable substances. The sensible substances are in the realm of natural sci...

    Read More

  • The Argument Of René Descartes Meditations On First Philosophy

    800 Words  | 2 Pages

    In his Meditations on First Philosophy, René Descartes seeks to prove that corporeal objects exist. This argument is put forth based on the principles and supposed facts he has built up throughout the Meditations. In order to fully understand his argument for the existence of corporeal things, one must trace his earlier arguments for effects and their causes, the existence of God, the nature of God, and his ability to never make mistakes.

    Read More

  • Does Perfection Exist?: Plato´s Theory of Forms

    789 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • An Analysis Of Plato's Theory On Human Nature

    914 Words  | 2 Pages

    Plato widely a respected philosopher and is arguably one of the greatest philosophers of all time. I knew nothing about him or what he stood for before taking this course and I found his theory on human nature very exciting. “Plato’s most fundamental contribution to philosophy was the distinction he drew between the changing physical objects we perceive with our senses and the under changing ideals we can know with our minds.” What Plato means is when we see something that we think is good or bad that there is good strong reasoning behind why we think the way we do. I find this very intriguing because, this it pertains to how I feel about everyday things and big Icons. For example, when hanging out at a friend’s house that is considerably richer

    Read More

  • Platos' Theory of Human Nature

    1040 Words  | 3 Pages

    In my opinion, Socrates’ analysis of human nature is very true as it ultimately brings us

    Read More

  • Theory of Ideas

    992 Words  | 2 Pages

    Plato is one of the most important people in the history of Philosophy. Throughout his life, he had made many contributions to the world of philosophy, but the most important contribution that he is most known for is his theory of the Ideas or Forms. Throughout his many works such as the Phaedo and Symposium, he presented his theory of Ideas by using both mythos and logos in his argument for support.

    Read More

More about Plato's Theory Of Forms

Open Document