Explain the Criticisms of Platos Theory of the Forms.

Platos theory of forms, also called his theory of ideas, states that there is another world, separate from the material world that we live in called the eternal world of forms. This world, to Plato, is more real than the one we live in. His theory is shown in his Allegory of the Cave (from The Republic, Book VII), where the prisoners only live in what they think is a real world, but really it is a shadow of reality. According to Plato, to the prisoners in the allegory and to humanity in the material world truth would be literally nothing but shadows and he believes us to be as ignorant as the people in the cave. Plato followed the belief that in order for something to be real it has to be permanent, and as everything in the world we†¦show more content†¦Goodness is something that cannot be defined, when asked, different people have different ideas about what is good, or right and wrong, whereas if everybody was asked to point to the sun they all would. This disproves his the ory as not everybody has a true understanding of the Form of the Good. Plato fails to set out his theory clearly and allow the reader to realise it is a theory. Nowhere in his dialogues does he state that he is describing a theory of forms, and so people may have misunderstood his writing s and he may not have meant it to be a theory at all. He has elements of his theory in many different dialogues and is inconsistent. In Book I of the Metaphysics Aristotle claims that Plato had a system to the effect that the many sensibles which have the same name exist by participating in the corresponding Forms. This quote from Aristotles work suggests that Plato did have a theory of forms but this is not believed by all people. None of these criticisms totally disallow Platos theory but argue against it and suggest other possibilities. Although there are many critics of Plato there are also many people who follow him, and even in this day and age Platos ideas are understood and followed and he has ended up being one of the most influential philosophers although his Theory of Forms is slightly over the top and hard to understand. To a certain extent these criticisms are valid, but in other ways they are not. In my opinion they are valid as far asShow MoreRelatedEssay Explain the Platonic Concept of Forms748 Words   |  3 PagesExplain the Platonic concept of Forms. Plato believed that reality is more than what we sense around the world (e.g. taste, smell, hear, see and touch), he believed that behind these physical realities lies a perfect version of them in which he called Forms and that the greatest thing we can learn is to have knowledge and understanding of them. Plato’s theory means that what we can sense around us (for example a chair) is just a mere shadow of the perfect version which exists in the world of FormsRead MoreWeaknesses Of Plato1262 Words   |  6 Pagesgain more knowledge. Plato explains the theory of recollection by first questioning what virtue is, then demonstrating the process through the questioning of a slave boy. Although a few weaknesses present themselves in Plato’s argument, Plato presents a valid theory on how our minds can obtain knowledge. This paper focuses on exploring Plato’s theory of recollection by examining the strengths and weaknesses of his discussion with Meno. The discussion of Plato’s theory of recollection evolved fromRead MorePlato’s Theory of Forms Essay1719 Words   |  7 PagesPlato’s Theory of Forms Plato was born, the son of Ariston and Perictione, in about 428 BC. His family, on both sides, was among the most distinguished in Athens. He was born in Athens into a very wealthy family and as a young man was a student of Socrates. Plato is probably one of the best-known philosophers. Plato embarked on a period of extensive travel, returning to Athens some years later. In 387 BCE he established the Academy, a school devoted to philosophicalRead MoreBoth Plato and Aristotle are among the most influential philosophers in the history. Socrates was900 Words   |  4 Pagesfound many questionable facts in his teachings and later on became a great critic of Plato’s teachings. Since Aristotle found faults in Plato, hence their work is easily comparable as it is based on the common aspects of philosophy. In this paper I will first explain some similarities and then I shall explain the differences between the theories of Plato and Aristotle. Both Plato and Aristotle based their theories on four widely accepted beliefs of the time; â€Å"knowledge must be of what is real, theRead MoreSocrates Vs. Plato s Lysis1244 Words   |  5 Pagesas Socrates does in Plato’s Lysis. In this philosophical dialogue, Socrates and his peers debate potential theories concerning the reasons why people become friends with one another. Several theories are developed, but throughout the dialogue Socrates counters his own arguments in order to achieve further understanding of his inquiry. As they deliberate the true nature of friendship, Plato’s writing parallels his teacher, Socrates’ style because it ends in perplexity. Plato’s own ideas intermingleRead MorePlato s Theory Of Forms1629 Words   |  7 Pagesfew philosophical theories are as essential as the theory of Forms. This is besides the fact that it is generally overlooked in many of Plato’s writings even though it lays the foundations to many other theories of his. The Republic is where the theory is first mentioned, followed by discussion in Phaedo and criticized in Parmenides and Timaeus thereafter. (These works will be further discussed later throughout the essay.) Plato’s theory of Forms, (sometimes referred to as the theory of Ideas) statesRead MoreGreek Philosophy And The Greek Creation1593 Words   |  7 Pageswere classified as â€Å"thinkers†. Greek philosophers were great thinkers who were determined to seek out the validity behind a certain subject. The Ancient Greek philosophical tradition broke away from a mythological approach that used Greek heroes to explain the world, and it initiated an approach based on logic and evidence. One philosopher who has had a great impact on western civilization between 2000 B.C. to the 16th century is Plato. Plato was often thought as one of the most influentialRead MoreNatural Law And Human Law1515 Words   |  7 PagesPositivist theories, assess the accuracy of the above statement. Intro Natural law Natural Law Theory seeks to explain ‘Law’ as a phenomenon which in order to be valid must meet the standards of a ‘higher law’ based on morality. Natural law is so called because it is believed to exist independently of human will. It is ‘natural’ in the sense that it is not humanly created. Natural law theories are theories about the relation between the moral natural law and positive human law. Natural law theories varyRead MoreExamine and Comment on the Claim That the Mind and the Body Are the Same703 Words   |  3 Pagessymbolising appetite in control. This self-control is what will be achieved by a long period of education and self-discipline. However, we have cause to seek a more plausible account of substance dualism. This is because Plato’s arguments all pre suppose the truth of the theory of forms. Descartes refers the substance in substance dualism to a logical relation. This is where a substance can live independently, so substance dualism is committed to the view that there are two substances, mind and matterRead MorePlato Essay2063 Words   |  9 Pages1. a) Explain how Plato’s epistemological assumptions shape his metaphysics (Why does he think that there must be Forms? Hint: Plato says (in effect): â€Å"Since knowledge is certain, therefore the objects of knowledge must be unchanging.†). b) Define Plato’s Forms and present the theory of Forms by explaining the â€Å"divided line.† (You can use the visual image, but explain it.) Plato was extremely devoted in answering the sophists’ skepticism about reason and morality. To do so, he spent more