Plato Form Of The Good
Plato form of the good
-most important form is the form of the good, highest form and the source of all other forms
- it represents the sun in the allegory of the cave, it illuminates and is the source of the other forms
- all forms are an aspect of goodness- truth, courage , wisdom and beauty is an aspect of goodness
- the greatest thing we will learn, knowledge of it is an end in itself and gives meaning and purpose to life.
- Different forms are arranged in a hierarchy and most important forms is the form of the good.
- We can recognize goodness in the world because we understand how they correspond to our intuitive knowledge of the form of the good; we can identify what it is about the actions or the people that is good.
- true knowledge is knowledge of goodness
- a philosopher is someone who loves wisdom and can recognise true knowlde
- genuine lover of wisdom the real ‘philosopher’ will want to put that wisdom into practise by becoming a role model and teaching others and setting an example
- only ignorant people chose to do bad because they know the difference between good and bad.
- people steal/lie because they are ignorant of the form of honesty
- if people become philosophers and looked for form of good they will make good moral decisions
Evaluation of the concept of the forms
Forms could just be ideas persevered in people’s minds. Richard dawkins referred to the passing on of ideas like this as memes –(selfish gene)
Are there really forms of everything- Plato isn’t really interested in forms of material objects but he is interested in the forms of wisdom, truth and beauty. If there are forms of concepts such as wisdom and truth then is there a form for bad things such as suffering and diseases?
Plato doesn’t clearly explain the link between the forms and the material world. E.g. what is the link between the form of justice and instances of justice in the world?
The third man argument- put forwarded but Aristotle who asks that if a man is a copy of
-most important form is the form of the good, highest form and the source of all other forms
- it represents the sun in the allegory of the cave, it illuminates and is the source of the other forms
- all forms are an aspect of goodness- truth, courage , wisdom and beauty is an aspect of goodness
- the greatest thing we will learn, knowledge of it is an end in itself and gives meaning and purpose to life.
- Different forms are arranged in a hierarchy and most important forms is the form of the good.
- We can recognize goodness in the world because we understand how they correspond to our intuitive knowledge of the form of the good; we can identify what it is about the actions or the people that is good.
- true knowledge is knowledge of goodness
- a philosopher is someone who loves wisdom and can recognise true knowlde
- genuine lover of wisdom the real ‘philosopher’ will want to put that wisdom into practise by becoming a role model and teaching others and setting an example
- only ignorant people chose to do bad because they know the difference between good and bad.
- people steal/lie because they are ignorant of the form of honesty
- if people become philosophers and looked for form of good they will make good moral decisions
Evaluation of the concept of the forms
Forms could just be ideas persevered in people’s minds. Richard dawkins referred to the passing on of ideas like this as memes –(selfish gene)
Are there really forms of everything- Plato isn’t really interested in forms of material objects but he is interested in the forms of wisdom, truth and beauty. If there are forms of concepts such as wisdom and truth then is there a form for bad things such as suffering and diseases?
Plato doesn’t clearly explain the link between the forms and the material world. E.g. what is the link between the form of justice and instances of justice in the world?
The third man argument- put forwarded but Aristotle who asks that if a man is a copy of