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Surely metaphysics? But ok, so can we defend the theory of the forms? Natural Intuition that things of a particular class share something in common- all chairs seem to have some common feature that makes them chairs but nothing seems to be constant except for that fact so we argue for a form of a chair.
Lovers of physical beauty have a love of something which always changes. The appearance of the thing they love changes and its beauty waxes and wains. Thus they have only short term true belief or just opinion in Plato's view. To have knowledge one must know of the beauty itself which doesn't change and so thus we have knowledge not being of the physical world but of the form of beauty itself. The same then is supposed to be true of good and so forth.
Plato's philosophical views here being based in his wider metaphysics which he owed to Heraclitus that the physical world is always changing and so wanted a stable aspect of the world to allow us to evaluate and understand. If everything is changing I can't possibly know anything (given Socrates' views on definition), thus there must be something that stays the same and as it isn't matter it must be something immaterial and so we get the forms. So the entire theory came about as a result of resolving conflicts between other ideas he got from Heraclitus and Socrates.
Generally in Plato there are very few explicit arguments for things like the forms. Most really sophisticated philosophy is a case of adopting something out of necessity to explain some other thing rather than actively being able to answer for it independently. That's the case here I think. If you really want you might look up Hericlitus' views on Flux and Socrates' views on definition to find some kind of argument for the Forms but I don't think you'll find much over and above the intuitions I've pointed to.
Another example you might consider is his demonstration in the Meno of a boy able to find mathematical truths without observation of the world. The boy can work out truth just by considering and being asked questions. Plato claims it is an example of recollection via acquintance with the ultimate truths in a past life, but it could be seen more generally as an example of the sort of knowledge Plato is after- knowledge by contemplation rather than observation. For Plato then the idea is that all real knowledge is a priori and possibly even that all the things we regard as knowledge are possible to know a priori. It's ropey, but he's not looking for a single knockdown argument so much as an intuitive or at least consistent metaphysics and epistemology.
What else can I help you with?
What was Plato's favourite subject?
Plato's favorite subject was philosophy, particularly metaphysics and epistemology. He was known for his discussions on ethics, politics, and the nature of reality.
What did Plato do to Socrates?
Plato was a student of Socrates and went on to become one of his most famous disciples. He preserved Socrates' philosophical teachings by writing them down in various dialogues, such as "The Republic" and "Phaedo", ensuring that Socrates' ideas would be passed down through the generations.
Was Plato an artist?
Plato was not primarily known as an artist. He was a philosopher, known for his works in metaphysics, epistemology, and ethics. Plato founded one of the earliest known academies in Athens, where he emphasized the importance of reason and critical thinking.
What did Plato wrote?
Plato wrote numerous philosophical dialogues, including "The Republic," "Symposium," and "Phaedo." His works cover a wide range of topics such as ethics, politics, metaphysics, and epistemology, and he was a student of Socrates.
What questions did Plato ask?
Plato, a Greek philosopher, asked questions on a wide range of topics including ethics, politics, epistemology, and metaphysics. Some of his famous questions include "What is justice?", "What is the nature of reality?", and "How can we achieve true knowledge?"
What was Plato's favourite subject?
Plato's favorite subject was philosophy, particularly metaphysics and epistemology. He was known for his discussions on ethics, politics, and the nature of reality.
What did Plato do to Socrates?
Plato was a student of Socrates and went on to become one of his most famous disciples. He preserved Socrates' philosophical teachings by writing them down in various dialogues, such as "The Republic" and "Phaedo", ensuring that Socrates' ideas would be passed down through the generations.
Was Plato an artist?
Plato was not primarily known as an artist. He was a philosopher, known for his works in metaphysics, epistemology, and ethics. Plato founded one of the earliest known academies in Athens, where he emphasized the importance of reason and critical thinking.
What did Plato wrote?
Plato wrote numerous philosophical dialogues, including "The Republic," "Symposium," and "Phaedo." His works cover a wide range of topics such as ethics, politics, metaphysics, and epistemology, and he was a student of Socrates.
What questions did Plato ask?
Plato, a Greek philosopher, asked questions on a wide range of topics including ethics, politics, epistemology, and metaphysics. Some of his famous questions include "What is justice?", "What is the nature of reality?", and "How can we achieve true knowledge?"
What was Plato interested in?
Plato was interested in philosophy, particularly in areas such as ethics, politics, metaphysics, and epistemology. He explored questions about the nature of reality, the nature of knowledge, and the ideal society, among others. Plato also founded the Academy in Athens, one of the earliest institutions of higher learning in the Western world.
What did Plato study?
Plato studied under Socrates in Athens before founding his own philosophical school, the Academy. He focused on exploring concepts such as ethics, metaphysics, and epistemology. His writings, including the famous "Republic," continue to be influential in Western philosophy.
What is some of Plato works?
Some of Plato's works include "The Republic," "Apology," "Symposium," and "Phaedo." These dialogues cover a range of philosophical topics such as ethics, politics, metaphysics, and epistemology. Plato is also known for his theory of forms and his teachings about the ideal state.
What are the 3 philosophers?
Three influential philosophers throughout history are Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. Socrates is known for his method of questioning and his contributions to ethics, Plato for his ideas on metaphysics and epistemology, and Aristotle for his work in logic, ethics, and natural philosophy.
How many books did Plato write?
Plato wrote approximately thirty-six dialogues, which are his main works. These dialogues cover various topics such as ethics, politics, epistemology, and metaphysics. He is also known for his writings on the trial and death of Socrates.
What were plato's discoveries?
Plato was a philosopher known for his work in ethics, metaphysics, and epistemology. He founded the Academy in Athens and his most famous works include "The Republic" and "The Symposium." Plato's contributions to philosophy include the theory of Forms, the allegory of the cave, and the concept of the tripartite soul.
How did Plato change their society?
Plato's major impact on society was through his philosophy that influenced Western thought. His ideas on ideal forms, education, and governance laid the foundation for fields such as ethics, politics, and epistemology. Plato also founded the Academy, a renowned school that promoted academic inquiry and intellectual development.
