Ancient philosophical influence

PLATO'S UNDERSTANDING OF REALITY

• Reality consits of the (physical) world of phenomena, and the world of concepts (forms)
• The physical world is known through sense experience (empiracal observation) = can be misleading. The world of forms is known through reason = more certainty
• Physical world is always changing, Forms are unchanging (superior) = forms will have a lasting certainty that knowledge about the physical world can never have

THE FORMS

• The forms are concepts, they are ideals and universals that we can use to help us understand the world. Example- if we understand whiteness as a concept, then we can recognise white things when we see them.
• Plato thought that is the highest form was good. Philosophy leads us to a recognition of the true goodness therefore philosophers…