Plato - Philosophy Essay Example for Free

Plato Philosophy Es pleadThe Republic is one of Platos longer works (more than 450 pages in length). It is written in dialogue form (as are most of Platos books), it addresses major(ip) issues in almost all of the branches of philosophy. The central theme in the book seems to be the genius of justice, a topic in governmental philosophy, that Plato also has his characters explore issues in ? philosophic cosmology, ? philosophical theology, ? philosophical anthropology, ? ethics, ? aesthetics, and ? epistemology.The parts of the Republic that are contained in our text (pp. 107-123) focus on Platos thought process (ideal?) of the Philosopher Ruler. According to Plato, ? the best mathematical political system ( affirm) ? will be loomd (governed) ? by PHILOSOPHERS (Is he kidding? ) Our reading selection contains the following themes/sections ? ? Introduction on the unifying of philosophy politics (107) Why straightforward philosophers would make the best orderrs (108-12) What is true philosophy? (108-11) Love of wisdom (108) cognition of true mankind (108-9) The distinctions surrounded by fellowship, ignorance and opinion (109-11) How is a true philosopher different from a lover of opinion?(111-12) Who is best suited to rule the state lovers of opinion or true philosophers? (112) ? ? Political leadership and knowledge of the Good (112-13) The ascent of the approximation to knowledge of the Good (113-123) The analogy between the Good and the sun (113-15) The image of the divided line (115-18) The illustration of the cave (118-123) The selection in the text begins at a point in the Republic later Socrates, Glaucon, other characters have been discussing the record of justice and the marks of a just political system for few time.So we are coming into the middle of the conversation where Glaucon is pressing Socrates to state whether it is possible for a unfeignedly just political system to come into existence. Before answering Glaucon s question, Socrates wonders whether it is worthwhile to What does he say construct a theoretical model of a good political system even if much(prenominal) a system could s bargely this? Do you agree? Why non actually exist. or wherefore not? Back to Glaucons original question Can a really just (or at to the lowest degree approximately just) political system exist? What would make it possible? (It is the separation of philosophy political power. ) And this leads to .. . . unless political power philosophy are brought together those who now pursue either the one or the other exclusively are prevented from doing so -neither our political problems nor our human troubles in general can be ended . . . . (Text, pp. 108-111) True Philosophy True Philosophers What are the characteristics of a person who is naturally suited to arrange philosophy?According to Socrates (Plato), a true philosopher ? loves the whole of wisdom and is satisfied with nothing less ? recognizes the going between particular things and the essences (or forms) of which particular things are likenesses (e.g. , beautiful things vs. witness itself) and ? knows the differences between knowledge, ignorance, and opinion.Plato argues that someone who really loves something must(prenominal) love that thing as a whole and not just some aspects of it. On that basis, he concludes that a true philosopher (lover of wisdom) must desire wisdom as a whole and not be content with having just some wisdom. Do you agree with this? Do wine-lovers really love all wines? A true philosopher recognizes the difference between particular things and the essences (or forms) of which particular things are likenesses (e. g. , beautiful things vs.Beauty itself).One of Platos major metaphysical theories is cognize as the Theory of Forms. According to that theory, ultimate reality is a realm of forms (essences) not loving to the intellects but only to the mind (intellect). He calls that level of reality the inte lligible realm (because it is accessible only to the intellect). The perceptible world (i. e. , the world we perceive through our senses) is a reflection or imitate of that higher intelligible world. (The Greek word for form or essence is eidos. ) Do you think it is possible for one thing to be really more beautiful than another thing?Well, how is that possible if sheer(a) Beauty does not exist? How can A be more beautiful than B? Doesnt A have to be closer to Absolute Beauty than B is? But how can A be closer to (or B be further away from) Absolute Beauty if Absolute Beauty does not exist? A true philosopher knows the differences between ? Knowledge, ? ignorance, ? opinion. Platos view of knowledge, ignorance, and opinion (Text, pp. 109-111) State of head Knowledge Opinion Ignorance Object What is (Being, Reality) What is is not (Becoming) What is not (Nothingness, Unreality) Access Intellect Perception ? (Do you agree with this setup/theory?)Is Plato right about knowledge, i gnorance, and opinion? Heres a different view. What about knowledge? The trinity basic questions in epistemology ? ? What is knowledge? How does it differ from opinion? How do we acquire knowledge? What are its sources? Rationalism vs. Empiricism. (What about Intuitionism and Revelationism? ) ? What are the extent and limits of knowledge? What can be known, and what cannot be known? A (fairly) standard definition of knowledge (and opinion) ? Knowledge is justified (i. e. , verified) true belief. To know is to believe. The belief must, in fact, be true. The belief must be justified (i.e. , verified, proved) by some standard and generally accepted means. ? Opinion is belief that may be true or may be false but that has not been or cannot be justified (i. e. , verified, proved) by any standard and generally recognized means. Of course, some opinions that are rationally defensible in the weak sense are justified in a limited way. And what about ignorance? Isnt ignorance basically a n absence of knowledge? Of course, opinion is also an absence of knowledge. So perhaps ignorance is a certain or special kind of opinion that is in some sense groundless (in a way based on nothing, as Plato says).? There seem to be respective(a) types of ignorance, including unintelligent ignorance, as when someone asserts dogmatically that a false proposition is true or that a true proposition is false. There is also intelligent ignorance, as when someone does not know X and acknowledges forthrightly that he does not know it, etc. More thought is needed on this reckon. ? However, Platos view of ignorance as having non-being (nothingness) as its object does not seem correct (or at least not completely correct).? ? ? Lovers of wisdom (philosophers) they recognize the existence of absolute, transcendental essences such as Beauty arbiter in themselves, and they seek knowledge of such absolutes. ? Lovers of opinion -they recognize only particular perceptible things do not believe in the existence of absolute essences such as Beauty itself. So what is the nature of the Absolute Good? (Text, p. 112-113) In approaching the problem of defining the nature of the Absolute Good, Socrates (Plato) sets forth three very famous illustrations of his overall perspective on knowledge reality.These are I The Good the temperateness The Good is to the mind as the sun is to the tenderness, i.e. , just as the suns light enables the eye to see in the perceptible realm, so the Good illuminates the mind and enables it to see in the intelligible realm. (See text, pp. 113-115) 2 The divided line (Text, pp. 115-118) States of Consciousness Philosophical Wisdom E Objects of Consciousness The Good Other Forms Knowledge D Intelligible Realm Scientific Knowledge Informed Opinion Delusion C B Mathematical Scientific Objects Opinion Perceptible Objects Images Perceptible Realm A (Text, pp. 118-123) Can you link the images on the following slide to Platos depiction of the cave world on pp.118-121 in the text? straight that the prisoner has seen the light, ? What might happen to him if he were to go back down into the cave-world? (pp. 119-121) ? How does he feel when he looks back down into the cave-world? (pp. 119) ? How does the allegory of the cave illustrate Platos overall view of knowledge and reality? (p. 121) More questions ? Whats the philosophical difference between coming into the darkness from the light coming into the light from the darkness? (p. 121) ? What, according to Plato, does the allegory of the cave tell us about what the process of education should be?(pp. 121-122) there are the big questions Why should we want philosophers to rule? How are we going to get them to rule? Since we are asking them to come back down into the cave-world, wont we be doing them harm by making their lives worse rather than better? (Text, pp. 122-123) What do you think of the following statements by Plato (Socrates)? The best rulers of the state are those who know the Good, who dont look to politics for their happiness, who live a higher bread and butter than the political life. Political power should be held by those who do not want it. The End (for now).