Plato's Theory of The Forms

Introduction: Cave Analogy

• The Republic
• Cave = our/empirical world, Outside = real world, realm of the Forms

What are the Forms?

• Blueprints to everything on Earth
• Essence of everything
• Archetype for things that exist

Where are they?

• The "real world", instead of our world of appearances

What are they like?

• Unchanging and perfect
• Non-physical and transcendent
• Eternal, timeless and immortal

How do we know about them?

• Known through intellect, generally philosophers are the ones in the know

How do they differ to the Particulars?

• Many Particulars
• Particulars = known through senses, Forms = known through intellect
• Always changing into something else
• Material objects
• Imperfect
• Always coming in and out of existence

Hierarchy of the Forms

• Bottom = Physical inanimate objects
• Physical living objects
• Concepts and ideals
• Universal qualities (eg. justice, truth and beauty)
• Top = The Form of the Good

Form of the Good

• Makes things knowable
• Source of the other Forms
• Represented by the sun in the Cave allegory
• Enables us to understand and assess things
• Analogy of sight = requires both light and the eye to see, light symbolises light, as without it one cannot see clearly.

Mention criticisms:

• Unclear link between the Forms and the world of Appearances
• No proof
• Form of the Forms?

Summary

• One of Plato's most important theories
• Form of the Good similar to the idea of a monotheistic God/higher deity.