The World Of Plato | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Student Life

The World Of Plato

Platonic forms and Plato's worlds have a way of provoking profound introspection and thought.

102
The World Of Plato
midnightmediamusings

While not of great significance in the spectrum of current events, a topic that inspires me, leading me to have a profound series of thoughts is Platonism, and the Platonic "Theory of Forms." Unbeknownst to many, this school of thought sparks the fires of passionate imagination, and fuels debates on discovery versus creation of math, the reality of time and many other epistemological issues.

Before venturing into the idea of forms, one should understand how Plato differentiates between the world in which we live, and the world in which we think.

Plato's Worlds:

What does the "Theory of Forms" suggest?

Simply put, it suggests that an abstract reality exists which holds all of the forms we use to describe our universe. A form acts as a perfect template that exists somewhere in another dimension, and is ultimate reference points for all objects we observe in the physical world.

I quite enjoy an explanation I read in my original discovery of this theory which said something along the lines of what follows. A horse you see in a stable is really an imperfect representation of some ideal horse that exists in this “elsewhere” dimension. The horse in the stable is just an imperfect representation of the perfect horse that exists somewhere else. Whenever you evaluate one thing, and determine that it is “better” than another thing of the same class, you assume that there is an absolute good from which those two objects can be compared. For example, how do you know a horse with four legs is better than a horse with three legs? Answer: You intuitively know that “horseness” involves having four legs.

What are the characterizing features of forms?

Forms are:

  • Transcendent - the forms are not located in space and time.
  • Pure - the forms only exemplify one property (a form only exemplifies one property, such as circularity, blackness or coldness).
  • Archetypes - perfect examples of the property that they exemplify.
  • Ultimately Real - The forms are the ultimately real entities, not material objects. All material objects are copies or images of some collection of forms; their reality comes only from the forms.
  • Causes - causes of all things, provide explanation.
  • Systematically Interconnected - moving from more general to more particular, from more objective to more subjective.

Now you may be asking yourself why this is of any importance at all.

It is important because of "The Ethical Problem" which exists is as follows. How can humans live a fulfilling, happy life in a contingent, changing world where every thing they attach themselves to can be taken away?

Also pertinent is "The Problem of Permanence and Change." How can the world appear to be both permanent and changing? What is more real, thought or perception?

While this subject perhaps may not affect your daily life the way current topics like "Pokemon Go" and political occurrences do, the explanations and profound questions that can be found in Plato's "Theory of Forms" can fuel conversation, promote intellectual thought and move people to consider the facets of their "reality" more passionately.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Lifestyle

The Great Christmas Movie Debate

"A Christmas Story" is the star on top of the tree.

929
The Great Christmas Movie Debate
Mental Floss

One staple of the Christmas season is sitting around the television watching a Christmas movie with family and friends. But of the seemingly hundreds of movies, which one is the star on the tree? Some share stories of Santa to children ("Santa Claus Is Coming to Town"), others want to spread the Christmas joy to adults ("It's a Wonderful Life"), and a select few are made to get laughs ("Elf"). All good movies, but merely ornaments on the Christmas tree of the best movies. What tops the tree is a movie that bridges the gap between these three movies, and makes it a great watch for anyone who chooses to watch it. Enter the timeless Christmas classic, "A Christmas Story." Created in 1983, this movie holds the tradition of capturing both young and old eyes for 24 straight hours on its Christmas Day marathon. It gets the most coverage out of all holiday movies, but the sheer amount of times it's on television does not make it the greatest. Why is it,
then? A Christmas Story does not try to tell the tale of a Christmas miracle or use Christmas magic to move the story. What it does do though is tell the real story of Christmas. It is relatable and brings out the unmatched excitement of children on Christmas in everyone who watches. Every one becomes a child again when they watch "A Christmas Story."

Keep Reading...Show less
student thinking about finals in library
StableDiffusion

As this semester wraps up, students can’t help but be stressed about finals. After all, our GPAs depends on these grades! What student isn’t worrying about their finals right now? It’s “goodbye social life, hello library” time from now until the end of finals week.

1. Finals are weeks away, I’m sure I’ll be ready for them when they come.

Keep Reading...Show less
Christmas tree
Librarian Lavender

It's the most wonderful time of the year! Christmas is one of my personal favorite holidays because of the Christmas traditions my family upholds generation after generation. After talking to a few of my friends at college, I realized that a lot of them don't really have "Christmas traditions" in their family, and I want to help change that. Here's a list of Christmas traditions that my family does, and anyone can incorporate into their family as well!

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

The 5 Phases Of Finals

May the odds be ever in your favor.

2121
Does anybody know how to study
Gurl.com

It’s here; that time of year when college students turn into preschoolers again. We cry for our mothers, eat everything in sight, and whine when we don’t get our way. It’s finals, the dreaded time of the semester when we all realize we should have been paying attention in class instead of literally doing anything else but that. Everyone has to take them, and yes, unfortunately, they are inevitable. But just because they are here and inevitable does not mean they’re peaches and cream and full of rainbows. Surviving them is a must, and the following five phases are a reality for all majors from business to art, nursing to history.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

How To Prepare For The Library: Finals Edition

10 ways to prepare for finals week—beginning with getting to the library.

3352
How To Prepare For The Library: Finals Edition
Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash

It’s that time of year again when college students live at the library all week, cramming for tests that they should have started studying for last month. Preparing to spend all day at the library takes much consideration and planning. Use these tips to help get you through the week while spending an excessive amount of time in a building that no one wants to be in.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments