The Need for Philosophy and works of Plato/Short Review for Philosophy
Write a short review on The Need for Philosophy and works of Plato
Plato, like Heraclitus, believed that everything in this world changes.
This lead Plato to conclude that there must be a World where things are unchanging.
= World of Forms
There are many types of beauty in this world but they must all conform or match the idea of what beauty is. However there must be an underlying idea of what beauty is
= Form of Beauty. For Plato this is the true Form of a Beauty which exists in the World of Forms.
Plato says that the particulars (e.g a particular beautiful person) are imperfect copies of the Forms.
The particulars share in, or participate in the Form. Some things participate to a greater or lesser extent.
The World of Forms or the Noeton.
‘Form’ = perfect expression of something that never changes.
This world based on senses is the Horaton (phenomena)
Sense Experience creates illusions
Humans believe these illusions = are ignorant (Eikasia.)
Because there are so many Forms there must be a Form of the Forms.
supreme Form = ‘Form of the Good.’
The Form of the Good is the Form of all other Forms. This is because everything has goodness in it.
Try describing beauty, justice, truth without mentioning ‘goodness.’ (Plato most interested in these ideas)
All perfection flows down from the Form of the Good.
Source/ reason for all other Forms.
Just as the sun in the allegory of the cave gives light to the real world, so the Form of the Good illuminates the other Forms.
It enables our souls to ‘see’ the Forms.
It is the ultimate end in itself: the aim of everything is goodness.
Knowledge of the Good is the highest knowledge a human is capable of.
A philosopher can escape the world of appearances and with their mind (reason/ a priori) see the Forms that lie behind the appearances.
= true leaders of society.
We are born with a dim recollection of the Forms.
Our immortal soul observes them before being reincarnated (Metempsychosis)
In the physical body (ruled by senses) the memory is only dim
Evidence: people know the basics of truth/ justice and beauty without being taught.
We do not learn new things, instead education is a matter of remembering and recalling the world of Forms.
Anamnesis – the soul remembering the Forms back in a physical body.
