Plato And The Concepts Of Plato's Theory Of Forms

Decent Essays
Plato’s philosophical work branched out from that of his mentor, Socrates, and the concept of finding ‘absolutes’ in regard to the truth of understanding what things are. This is shown in his theory of forms, where forms are perfect, eternally lasting, and unchanging. Forms fit for both abstract objects and concepts aside from tangible things and the properties and characteristics that fit for each of those objects. However, the material objects around us cannot be seen as real, the forms that those belong to are the most absolute and closest to what is a part of reality. Forms branch into particulars, which can be concluded as many objects (or examples) that fit into a compatible category. The theory of forms and the component of particulars …show more content…
Justice is a good example from class regarding forms, but I preferred the one regarding beauty instead because it fit better for conceptualizing the theory of forms. Beauty as a whole is the absolute for an abstract concept which creates a form. This creates our ‘one’ or absolute that fulfills a philosophical question for discovering what precisely is real. The exploration of discovering the level of reality is metaphysics itself and much of the work that Plato spent his life pursuing. Returning back to the class example of beauty, we all have a semi-innate idea of beauty that only seems to evolve as we mature. The form of beauty is absolute no matter the numerous examples that each person has. This can be because of the various subsidiaries of art, music, thoughts, literature, etc. that are particulars that participate in the form of but are less real than the form itself.

Aristotle’s philosophical work mimicked that of his mentor, Plato, much like Socrates had influenced his pupil so greatly. Aristotle went to reevaluate Plato’s theory of forms and resolved a new theory including substance and universals. His observational study connected to the philosophical content within metaphysics that relate to ontology, the state of being

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