Академический Документы
Профессиональный Документы
Культура Документы
Learning Objectives
On completion of this chapter, you should be able to answer the following questions:
What was the Academy? Where did it get its name? What was its chief purpose? How did Plato distinguish between knowledge and opinion? What are the Platonic Forms? Are Forms the same as Ideas? What is the Allegory of the Cave? What are the three basic levels of reality according to Plato? What are the cardinal virtues? What are the parts of the soul?
Platos Life
Plato (c.427-348 B.C.E.) is actually the nickname of Aristocles, which came from Platon, meaning wide or broad (one story has it that he had wide shoulders, and another that he had a wide forehead). Aristocles meant best, or most renowned, and he did well in practically everything. Plato was the son of one of the oldest and most elite families in Athens.Through his mothers family he was related to the celebrated lawgiver, Solon. His fathers family traced its lineage back to the ancient kings of Athens.
Platos Work
Our chief source of information on Plato comes from Plato himself. We still have all the works attributed to him by ancient scholars, the most important of which are the philosophical dialogues. These include the Apology, Crito, Phaedo, Theaetetus, Timaeus, Gorgias, Protagoras, Meno, and the Republic. We probably have more biographical information about Plato than on any other ancient philosopher much of it from Diogenes Laertiuss Life of Plato. And its likely that no single work of Western philosophy has been read by as many people as Platos Republic.
Platos Disillusionment
Plato became discouraged by the mob represented by the jury at Socrates trial whom he thought were irrational and dangerous. He also became discouraged by the elite represented by the nobles who formed the Thirty whom he thought were cruel, greedy, and self-centered. As a result, he felt that justice, and the avenging of Socrates death, would have to come through philosophy rather than political action. To this end, he sought to develop an ideal form of government which avoided both extremes.
The Academy
After the revolt of the Thirty and execution of Socrates, Plato left Athens and wandered for nearly twelve years. He studied with Euclid. He traveled to Egypt where he studied mathematics and mysticism, both of which influenced his later philosophy. At about age forty, after finishing most of his writings, he founded his Academy (c.388 B.C.E.), named after the Greek hero, Academos. It was a philosophical retreat, isolated from the turmoil of Athenian politics. His chief function was probably as teacher and administrator. Here Plato spent the next forty years, lecturing without notes until he died.
Platos Epistemology
Plato was determined to show that skepticism and relativism of the Sophists was mistaken. He also aimed to reconcile the claims of Heraclitus (change alone is unchanging) and Parmenides (change is an illusion). He did both by dividing knowledge from belief. Beliefs are gotten through the senses and are about physical change (becoming). Knowledge is gotten through reason and is about what is always the same (being). Beliefs are about appearances, while Knowledge is about reality, about how things really are.
The divided line expresses Platos hierarchical view of reality and wisdom.
The Republic
Just as there are three parts to the human soul, so there should be three parts to the ideal state. There should be workers who provide for our basic needs for food and shelter. There should be warriors who protect us as the military does from foreigners and the police do from neighbors. And there should be guardians who watch over us and order things for our collective welfare. This job would go to the wise and able leaders, to those Plato called philosopher-kings.
Utopia
The utopia that Plato envisioned would avoid such problems (by ensuring that people performed duties dictated by their natural abilities, just as the parts of the soul were controlled to perform their proper functions). The Republic, then, is the form of government best suited to human happiness.
Discussion Question
We hear a great deal these days about the virtues of democracy. What might Plato think of our democratic culture? As you think about this, consider political, social, and cultural trends that Plato could cite as supporting evidence for this characterization of democracy and the democratic soul.