Philosophy

Philosophy Study Guide

exists. Forms do not exist in a material sense, but they do exist independently of the minds of people. Plato believes we can discover these forms through disciplined study based on developing our ability to reason in an enlightened fashion. The ideal form is the ultimate concept of the object or idea and such a concept is defined by its boundaries. There are many different kinds of Platonic forms: geometrical, mathematical and logical relations, human virtues, sensible properties, and abstract concepts. In this sensible day-to-day world of living, we see only imperfect examples of these perfect, eternal forms and the world of our senses can never yield authentic knowledge, only unsubstantial, changeable opinions. Plato believed we develop opinions through the simple experience of living and observing the world, but these opinions reflect the transitory nature of human life and so one can never achieve the status of universal knowledge; such knowledge comes only from knowledge of the eternal forms through our ability to use our reasoning abilities. Plato’s metaphysical view enables him to achieve his epistemological goals, employing clear rational criteria to distinguish unsubstantiated and transient opinion from the eternal realm of knowledge. In The Divided Line , Plato provides a visual analogy to illustrate the levels of metaphysics and epistemology and divided them into levels. Levels C and D represent the world of appearance the visible world in which we live our lives. Despite our best efforts, the highest form of knowing that we can achieve in this world of sense of experience is opinion. This is the world of becoming, where everything is continually changing, evolving disappearing, reappearing. The lowest level of knowing and being is Level D , which is the level of illusion composed of unsubstantiated beliefs, transitory images, and fragmentary impressions that are received uncritically. The next level, which is Level C , is that of perception , which is affected by means of our five senses. Perceptions have a grounding in the actual world in which we live. We see, hear, touch, taste, and smell things on an ongoing basis and our perceptions are typically fragmentary and incomplete, thus, the conclusions that we reach based on them are typically subjective and biased. The realm of human experience where knowledge begins to exist is Level B the level of the lower forms. Lower forms are those universals that we find exemplified in our physical world. The highest realm of knowledge is that of the higher forms, Level A . Universals such as truth, beauty, good, and justice are all examples of higher forms. Like the lower forms, the higher forms represent universals that are unchanging and eternal. The difference is that the higher forms refer to abstract ideals rather than physical objects in the world, thus wisdom is not the essence of a physical object in the world that we can experience. It (wisdom) like truth, beauty, justice, and good exists on a much higher intellectual level and understanding these ideals require a lifetime of rational exploration and reflection. In The Theory of Innate Ideas , Plato believed that genuine knowledge can only be achieved through our reasoning abilities, so he was known as a rationalist. In contrast, Aristotle believed that we can gain true knowledge through our sense experience is known as an empiricist. Rationalism is the position that reason has precedence over other ways of acquiring knowledge or, more strongly put, it is the unique path to knowledge. Empiricism is the position that the senses and sense experience are primary in acquiring knowledge. One of the strongest arguments that rationalists advance to support their view that genuine knowledge is based on reason, not sense experience, is that humans seem to possess knowledge that could not be derived solely from our experiences in the world.

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