Platos Theory Of Forms Analysis

Plato’s Theory of Forms Plato’s Phaedo follows the last hours of philosopher Socrates’ life before his impending execution. Socrates’ followers visit him in jail to try and glean a few last pieces of knowledge from their beloved teacher. The crux of their discussion deals with the question: What happens to souls after death? Socrates attempts to answer the age-old question for his pupils before he finds out firsthand. In his answer, Socrates argues that the soul is immortal and to support this assertion, the philosopher presents four arguments to his listeners: the Argument from Opposites, the Argument from Affinity, the Theory of Recollection, and the Theory of Forms. Of these arguments, establishing the Theory of Forms is the most essential

in order to understand the Theory of Forms, one must have an understanding of Socrates’ other conceptual ideas. Socrates begins the discussion by proving that all things are generated from it opposites. The philosopher utilizes parallels to prove his points. Plato writes,” […] when anything becomes greater it must inevitably have been smaller and then have become greater. (70 E)” By this, he means that any one thing could not become great unless it had once been small. This theory can also be applied in reverse, i.e., something small had once been great before it became small. Socrates explains this concept’s application to all processes: weak from strong, sleeping to awake, living to dead, etc. Socrates’ reasoning is that if these opposites generate each other, then they form a circular

Because souls and Forms co-exist together, souls have an intimate understanding of all Forms. It is the knowledge of these Forms that the soul comes into the life with initially. As life continues, the human begins to recollect the knowledge he or she has been born with. Socrates considers Forms to be divine knowledge; it is this that Socrates deems ‘the truth’ or ‘ultimate knowledge’. Being able to claim mastery of the Forms and the ability to recognize and perceive them would only occur with death once the soul was freed from the limitations of the human body. Ultimately, the Form is the reality while anything humans can perceive is an incomplete forgery. That is why Socrates is unafraid of death; he is excited to finally be able to truly perceive the world through the lenses of the