Platonism

n.
The philosophy of Plato, especially insofar as it asserts ideal forms as an absolute and eternal reality of which the phenomena of the world are an imperfect and transitory reflection.

Platonist Pla'to·nist n.
Platonistic Pla'to·nis'tic adj.

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Platonism [play‐tŏn‐izm], the doctrines of the Greek philosopher Plato (Platon, 427–347 BCE), especially the idealist belief that the perceptible world is an illusory shadow of some higher realm of transcendent Ideas or Forms. Despite Plato's hostility to poets as misleading imitators of worldly illusions, Platonic ideas have repeatedly been adopted in Western literature: in the Renaissance his view of physical beauty as an outward sign of spiritual perfection is prevalent in love poetry, while in the age of Romanticism his idealist philosophy was absorbed by many poets, notably Percy Bysshe Shelley. The Cambridge Platonists were a group of theologians associated with Cambridge University in the mid‐17th century, who sought to reconcile the Anglican faith with human Reason while promoting religious tolerance; their leading writers were Henry More and Ralph Cudworth. See also Neoplatonism.

Generally, any view supposed to owe its classical origin to the dialogues of Plato. In modern philosophy the view taken especially from the middle dialogues of Plato that abstract objects, such as those of mathematics, or concepts such as the concept of number or justice, are real, independent, timeless, and objective entities. Numbers stand to mathematical enquiry rather as countries do to geographical enquiry, and concepts stand in a similar relation to enquiries such as philosophy or law that delve into their nature. See also forms.