Plato's Imperfection Argument

Plato’s imperfection argument is concerned with the existence of forms and our possession of priori concepts that is knowledge that is not gained from empirical evidence but rather through deduction. Plato basis the argument on the imperfection of sensible objects and how we make judgments about them. He denotes the forms to being the perfect object and stresses that the sensible ones are only imperfectly approximate meaning although they seem holistic they are lacking. He focuses on the form of equality and our assumptions that we perceive objects to be equal, but because we are using our senses the object falls short of being the true from of equality. When we attempt to utilize our senses to explain the concept of equality the object becomes
imperfect, that is unequal and equal. Plato believes we are never truly experiencing objects for what they are (the true forms) due to our sense perceptions. By being aware that an object is imperfect, one must have in mind something that is perfect to compare it to. So in the case of equality, when we see something unequal we are able to judge it as that because of our knowledge of what equal is.
We are reminded of the form of equality which is distinguishable from the imperfect approximate. We have an intrinsic understanding of what it means for something to be equal even through no two things we experience are perfectly equal. In order to grasp the form of equality we must be recollecting the immortal knowledge we had prior to birth. This implies 2 things such that the soul’s life extends beyond the body and that the soul must have existed prior to birth in order to recall this knowledge.
In Phadeo recollection is the epistemological mechanism and the forms are used to apply it. A form is an abstract object, the existence and nature of it is independent from our beliefs and judgments about them, they are unchangeable, eternal, uniform and always the same. The study of epistemology and metaphysics amounts to studying what the world is like and what we know about it. Topics of interest regarding epistemology in Plato’s case is in perception and knowledge. These notions generally are directed at something, knowledge has ideas that are known and perceptions require stimuli to be perceived. Knowledge is infallible whereas our beliefs are not, just as the forms are real, but the material objects
around us are not. Material objects are those which are mortal and constantly changing, our bodies and any particular thing attracted to the senses are from this world of material and composite things. Our sense cause us to come to conclusions all too quickly, they are constantly bombarded with new information and must adapt to allow us to perceive and understand the sensory experience. This is a realm where our bodies are most plausible in going to after death, Plato also considers a second one where the soul ventures. The second universe is that of the forms which are comprehended in the mind and are forever changeless. The Socratic method of teaching consists of asking the right questions in order to recollect and we are able to do so using the forms. Forms are transcendent meaning they exist outside of space and time, they are both the objects of knowledge and the cause of how we should perceive our reality. Plato uses the argument of recollection to remind us that after death the soul is in a disembodied state prior to embracing a body, the soul does not disperse so it is here the soul carries the knowledge of forms which will be forgotten at birth. Once the soul has claimed the body the knowledge of forms will be recollected by remembering. He has a valid argument in that recollection implies knowledge that is not experienced by the senses, recollection is knowledge of the recollected. Our ideas must exist because knowledge is gathered through them and knowledge is a recollection of those ideas which means the soul must exist before birth. In order to make our first perceptual judgment we must use the ideas we have before birth. In essence time and learning is an illusion because you already have the knowledge contained in memory reality is waiting for the process to unfold in order to remember.

Plato acknowledges intrinsic knowledge of the forms which use recollection to be remembered but he never gives any explanation to when before birth we acquired this knowledge.
If knowledge is experienced rather than innately given it is not real knowledge. His idea that true knowledge is not from experience because our sense perceptions distort and confuse contradicts the theory that experience from a past life could have given us the knowledge of the forms or equality in this case. Seemingly when we see two relatively equal objects beside each other we know if they are equal or not because they will either be the same or different. Because the form of absolute equality does not exist physically that does not mean the idea can’t be constructed mentally and exist in the mind, so it could be argued that knowledge of the form equality is from the imagination not recollection. When a person is discussing a true form they could simply be stating their opinion and use it as justification as a definition of the thing itself, thus imagining their ideal standard of justice, beauty, equality. They can just as easily use a standard definition to understand the absolute and have no need to recollect. The existence of absolute forms therefore would not depend on the souls exit from the body but from imagination instead. The theory of recollection is one of learning but because it is not obvious about what it means to have a form in mind we do not really know who accomplishes it or what
type of learning is recollection. It seems as though recollection is restricted for only those who recollect, “Recollection cannot be an act of learning achieved by all, but must instead be restricted to the philosopher.” (Lee Franklin p 290). A philosopher’s goal is to welcome death as once the separation of body and soul occurs the soul can gain true knowledge. Socrates makes it clear that in order to recollect we must compare something similar to something different that is compare a sensible object to its form. This would mean that a comparison is needed in order to familiarize yourself with the form but since only philosophers are familiar with them they are the only ones who can compare the imperfect to the perfect. Therefore one could argue that recollection is only for philosophers. Other questions arise like how does a soul that is intangible and not seen interact with other invisible things? Or how do the forms interact with the soul in order for recollection?