Introduction:
In the reading of Phaedo, Plato argues about the concept of the imperfection argument. In this paper I shall give a brief summary about how Plato comes to the conclusion of the imperfection argument. I shall start with the cyclical argument, then move on to the contradictory opposites, then the recollection argument and finally the imperfection argument. I shall argue that I do agree with the imperfection argument, but only to a certain extent.
Exposition:
In Phaedo, there’s a conversation between Phaedo, Echecrates, and other various people. They discuss the theory of forms and the arguments for the immortality of the soul. They begin to discuss the immortality of the soul. This is called the cyclical argument; the first premise of the immortality of the soul is that all things that have opposites come from their opposites. The second premise is that since life and death are opposites and therefore, life and death generate each other. Regarding that, there are some objections …show more content…
The imperfection argument is an argument for both the existence of forms and the concept of a priori. Plato uses this argument as the base of the imperfection of sensible objects and our ability to make judgments about the sensible objects. The basic idea is that we can’s abstract the concept of beauty, from our sense-experience of the objects around us that are beautiful. The imperfection argument goes as follows: 1. “We perceive sensible objects to be equal. 2. We perceive that any two sensible objects fall short of absolute or perfect equality. 3. If we are capable have seeing that any two sticks fall short of absolute equality, then we must know what absolute equality is. Therefore, we know what absolute equality is. But since no two sense objects are perfectly equal, our knowledge of absolute equality doesn’t come from sense
In the reading of Phaedo, Plato argues about the concept of the imperfection argument. In this paper I shall give a brief summary about how Plato comes to the conclusion of the imperfection argument. I shall start with the cyclical argument, then move on to the contradictory opposites, then the recollection argument and finally the imperfection argument. I shall argue that I do agree with the imperfection argument, but only to a certain extent.
Exposition:
In Phaedo, there’s a conversation between Phaedo, Echecrates, and other various people. They discuss the theory of forms and the arguments for the immortality of the soul. They begin to discuss the immortality of the soul. This is called the cyclical argument; the first premise of the immortality of the soul is that all things that have opposites come from their opposites. The second premise is that since life and death are opposites and therefore, life and death generate each other. Regarding that, there are some objections …show more content…
The imperfection argument is an argument for both the existence of forms and the concept of a priori. Plato uses this argument as the base of the imperfection of sensible objects and our ability to make judgments about the sensible objects. The basic idea is that we can’s abstract the concept of beauty, from our sense-experience of the objects around us that are beautiful. The imperfection argument goes as follows: 1. “We perceive sensible objects to be equal. 2. We perceive that any two sensible objects fall short of absolute or perfect equality. 3. If we are capable have seeing that any two sticks fall short of absolute equality, then we must know what absolute equality is. Therefore, we know what absolute equality is. But since no two sense objects are perfectly equal, our knowledge of absolute equality doesn’t come from sense