This concept leads to the next concept, Allegory of the Cave, which serves as a guide in the physical world. The story entails prisoners who are chained up who accept the reality within the cave because all their lives they have relied on posterior knowledge, obtaining knowledge after an experience. They witnessed shadows on the walls of the cave and mistook the shadows for the people encaging them. Their voices reinforced the illusion. By creating a false reality through opinions, Plato would underline that “Opinion is the medium between knowledge and ignorance." (http://equotes.wetpaint.com/page/Plato+Quotes) He implies in the story that the journey towards knowledge requires one’s reasoning. At each stage of the journey, people must question their assumptions. Plato’s work has influenced philosophers like Thomas Aquinas, Thomas Hobbes, and Rene Descartes and other Rationalists centuries later, as they expanded Plato’s theories.
Question 2: How does your philosopher define knowledge, acquisition of knowledge and use of knowledge?
Plato paved the way for many Rationalists to explore the truth of knowledge. In his lifetime, Plato developed various proposals that defy knowledge which have lasted for centuries; creating sensible debates between fictional characters, theories, and concepts that enlighten others. Many philosophers based their theories the definition of justified true belief. Furthermore, Plato emphasises through various stages how one can ascend towards true knowledge on the journey of life which is a process of acquiring knowledge. A traveller on a particular journey ascends stage by stage as illustrated in Allegory of the Cave in his novel, Republic. Once an individual reaches the top of the totem pole of knowledge, a person is able to reason and to make assumptions in the invisible World of Forms and is independent from the influence of scientific, cultural, and moral assumptions presented
“Justified True Belief” had been based on the verdict of Socrates’ execution where Plato used dialectic (a two person argument consisting of a theory holder and an opposition that attempts to demolish the theory) to derive his definition. As well through Theatetus, Plato has comprised other reasonable arguments for the definition of knowledge. Theatetus discusses knowledge as nothing but perception, knowledge as true judgment, and, finally, knowledge as a true judgment with an account. The prisoner in Allegory of the Cave and Theatetus will be used to show how one can gain knowledge:
Stage 1: Dreaming and Imagining
A prisoner's intellectual journey in Allegory of the Cave proposes to think outside the cave, (society pre-assumptions) dream and imagine alternatives as to what could be possible. Theatetus explores different definitions but nevertheless fails to define knowledge but rather gives some insight on knowledge. Socrates, the narrator, states that even though sensory perception can invoke illusions, knowledge is derived from sensory perception. Knowledge is a by-product of thinking and the thoughts are initiated by the senses. However, it misguides the prisoners’ opportunity to understand more than meets the eye. In Theatetus, The young Theatetus attempts to counteract false perceptions the prisoners fall under by equating distorted perception to correct thinking. Theatetus’s eyes are unable to correspond to his perception but it’s a different sensory deceit; its misidentification through substitution. Socrates demonstrates this idea using the characters Theatetus and Theodorus, when a person tries to identity Theatetus in a fog and mistakes him for Theodorus. Even when something seems visible, tangible, or audible, it must be subject to selective thinking as to what is and isn’t the truth.
The prisoners’ perceptions of talking shadows are identical to the situation regarding Theatetus as Theodorus. Plato would declare that the enlightened prisoner can no longer affiliate the talking shadows to talking beings now that he's been exposed to knowledge. Plato would insist on the enlightened prisoner speaking in retrospect. “I mistakenly thought that shadows were beings, to my surprise it now turns out human beings were the beings.”
Stage 2: clearly perceive objects and patterns.
This stage can be difficult to overcome as everything comes down to an individual’s perception. Plato’s advice is to distinguish the ideals from the actual. This suggests reasoning rather than accepting the physical world’s images. He argues knowledge requires immense thinking. The conclusion that comes with those thoughts can be false as well as true because "Knowledge is true opinion". (http://equotes.wetpaint.com/page/Plato+Quotes) Although this is true, false thoughts are not thoughts of two different things (Theatetus and Theodorus); they're mere misidentification, neither true nor false.
The prisoner viewing the new world has to make a distinction as to what his senses tell him. Something unearthly as his experience could be seen as unreal or as a dream. In order to proceed, he must use his own reasoning to separate what he perceives to be true and false
Stage 3: True Knowledge and how to sustain it
The last stage entails what one does with true knowledge. Plato explains that individuals who reason their way to this stage arrive at true knowledge of the forms; they’re bound to the invisible World of Forms. The prisoner should be able to create principles for himself to base his new reality on. The theory of Forms provides the enlightened prisoner with timeless truths, intellectual knowledge and conceptual certainties to shape his perspective. Timeless truth will allow the prisoner to make significant suggestions and/or conclusions about particular things and depict their nature (true or false). Those entities hold timeless truths or lies and require scrutiny. The prisoner’s intellectual knowledge is first received by the senses and is based on the prisoner’s intellect to justify what he sensed. Lastly, the prisoner must remember with concepts like Forms and Ideals for positive consideration there is negative consideration. There is no certainty in this world; only the prisoner can decide whether the cave or the physical world is reality.
Plato’s definition of knowledge in Theatetus may not be concise but at least he accommodates partial answers to the initial question because to him "Wise men speak because they have something to say; Fools because they have to say something."(http://thinkexist.com/quotation/wise_men_speak_because_they_have_something_to_say/218003.html)Instead of providing direct answers in Theatetus, he contributes to future philosophers’ principles. Senses offer a source of knowledge at the same time they cease to deceive us. A follower of Plato’s teaching attempting to defy knowledge must become submerged in the World of Forms to make sense of the world around him.
Question 3: How are your philosopher’s theories used in society today? (Societal links)
To understand Plato’s contribution to society one must understand that Plato’s main theories expand across different schools of thought. The abstract world is invisible to the human eye as it does not belong in the changing world humans' inhabit. Through Plato’s propositions, evidence and conclusions, individuals like Albert Einstein, Nicolaus Copernicus, Isaac Newton Mohandas Gandhi, Charles Darwin and Bishop Desmond Tutu arrived at their own conclusions without the aid of previously conventional ideals. By assessing their own reasoning, they grasp valid knowledge and apply it to the visible world using tools of the mind like mathematics, physics, and other subjects that require exploration of knowledge. Plato’s works also had an impact on early Christianity as it was seen as "Godly".
From Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity to Mohandas Gandhi’s on non-violence, modern geniuses share Plato’s idea of ascending to the World of Forms; isolating them from the physical society’s influence. Since all of these geniuses share the same story concept representing Plato’s theory, a Polish Churchman, Nicolaus Copernicus, can be used to exemplify when one reject society’s customs to reveal the truth.
Plato stated that “Astronomy compels the soul to look upwards and leads us from this world to another.” ( ) The quotation compares Copernicus’ intellectual discovery of being similar to Allegory of the Cave. Copernicus’ discovery began when he proposed that the sun was the center of the universe and that six planets orbited the sun; He came to this conclusion because his hypothesis explained mathematical difficulties. Before the Copernican system could be official, Copernicus had to challenge the Catholic Church which held a contradicting system called the Ptolemaic system. The Ptolemaic system states that God created the earth to be the center of the universe. In the 16th century, Copernicus considered a different scenario. The church was furious with Copernicus’ theory. He offended the Bible’s rulings as written in Psalm 93 (addressing God): “Thou hast fixed the earth immovable and firm.” Not only did the Catholic Church get involved but leading Protestants, and the French theologian, John Calvin, let their voices be heard, John Calvin:“Who will venture to place the authority of Copernicus above that of the Holy Spirit?” ( Magee The Story of Philosophy 65) It becomes a question of authority rather than justification of knowledge. However, Copernicus’ display of courage supports Plato’s quotation: "compulsion has no hold on the mind." () Even though Copernicus gave the public insight on the nature of the universe the Catholic Church did it they could to diminish Copernicus’ rising authority over the most powerful authority of all. This kind of thinking is what Plato’s based his beliefs on. As mentioned, compulsion of knowledge does not give into society's conventional ideals but aids the fight; believing in something enables a person to thrive against odds. As a result “Everything that deceives may be said to enchant.” (http://equotes.wetpaint.com/page/Plato+Quotes) as pointed out by Plato, which is displayed in Copernicus’ winnings against the previously deceitful Ptolemaic system. Through the experience, Copernicus had reached the highest point of true knowledge, the World of Forms, which can provide timeless truth if used wisely.
Plato inquiry of morals and politics stretches across all subjects of reality. It is how this Greek philosopher made his way into early Christianity teachings. Many people of this time would commonly refer to Socrates and Plato as the “Christians before Christ” (Magee The Story of Philosophy 68) because they constituted an ultimate reality that was accepted as reasonable by the majority of the Hellenistic period. The New Testament was written in Greek. Many inquiries made by philosophers concerned themselves around Plato’s main doctrines and they attempted to make them public. The more important doctrines became the essence of orthodox Christian thinking. Many Christians at the time believed that Plato’s doctrines were prepared for the coming of The New Testament. His concept of The World of Forms was a very profound subject in early Christianity. The World of Forms was seen as perfection as given by God; even Plato view his own concept as divine. His theory gave a glimpse of hope that humans have inherited something divine.
Plato’s doctrines have reached out to both philosophers and non-philosophers alike but continues to exist in later centuries because the concept is insightful to individuals wishing to obtain an alternative perspective of seeking knowledge. There is no right and wrong answer to true knowledge; however, Plato’s theories, concepts, dialogues, and dialectics hold powerful revelations.
Personal Reflection
Plato’s works are to be used as a reference for acquiring knowledge when observing the unknowns of the physical world. They give explorers of mathematics and science a new way to think outside the box. He has developed important inquiries into the field of Epistemology. The recollection theory stands out in my mind as a farfetched theory that is inconceivable.
The World of Forms is a universally accepted concept as everyone can relate to the concept of thoughts: black or white, Inuit or American. Plato’s theory of Forms opens one up to the thought that knowledge is innate; it’s not necessarily dependent on the senses. A person is able to separate himself from the constantly changing world (the physical world) and enter the World of Forms to make important observations that could be very well possible in a stable world. Plato’s World of Forms foundation is built on ideals gathered from the physical world, ideals that would never exist in the physical world. For example, in geometry the concept of the circle is considered a "perfectly" round circle which is not true in the physical world. Plato never disregarded the physical world; it’s purpose is to apply our unique findings. The definition of knowledge is unclaimed in Theatetus most likely because Plato could not enable himself to defy knowledge. Conceptual certainty stood in the way. If seemingly negative certainties are attainable through argument, no concept can be absolute only more or less reasonable. Therefore things or happening in the everyday world cannot be for certain. What Plato wants is for a person to think for himself and make his own connections.
I chose not to believe in his recollection theory for two reasons: it seems irrational to believe that the human brain can hold a vast amount of information deep within itself but cannot seem to sustain it at times. My two views take on a scientific and philosophical point of view. Scientifically, the brain creates new memories subconsciously and stores them within the mind. The more range of information over the year, the more equipped the brain becomes to sustain itself among the clutters of information one must absorb in a school year for example. To counter Plato’s Doctrine of recollection one has the ability to solve a geometry question if given the chance. The solution was not within the slave, rather within the intelligence and patience required allowing him to solve the area of the square. Noam Chomsky made a related note to Plato’s doctrine of recollection when debating that children’s communication skills are hard-wired into humans. What Chomsky or Plato didn’t know about hard-wired knowledge is that a child’s main focus at a young age is to be a part of society. He wants the attention his dad or sister holds because he is being treated unequally. Therefore a lot of the child’s performance relies on social pressures to quickly emerge as another acceptable being in the universe. Plato made a reasonable theory up to there, but going as far as stating that the brain that once held knowledge is trapped deep within the mind once a mind is placed in the body requires me to believe supernatural information and has me rejecting the concept and applying my own justification to his statement. To my reasoning, Plato invoked his own feelings rather than logic into the theory and made it very difficult to conceive for people of different beliefs, economic, and backgrounds.
Plato was able to encourage many individuals to expose themselves to the abstract World of Forms. He created a foundation for other philosophers to question and progress in his direction. His teachings are more than theories, concept, and debate but a way of life for followers who wish to progress towards a higher realm, prisoners who wish to no longer be chained down in a cave.
How do I know what I know citations
Crowell Collier and MacMillan, INC. The encyclopedia of philosophy. Vol. 5-6. Londan: Collier-MacMillan publishers, 1967. Print.
Magee, Bryan. The Strory Of Philosophy. Ed. Lara Maiklem. United States: DK,Inc, 2001. Print.
"Plato." Great Books Index. Web. 27 Oct. 2009. <http://books.mirror.org/gb.plato.html>.
"Platonic epistemology -." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Web. 29 Oct. 2009. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Platonic_epistemology#Metaphor_of_the_sun>.
"Who learns faster - Children or Adults?" Enda Tuomey's English Language Writing Website. Web. 28 Oct. 2009. <http://www.writefix.com/argument/smallchildrenlearn.htm>.
"Plato Quotes - eQuotes - A Famous Quotes Wiki." Welcome to eQuotes! - eQuotes - A Famous Quotes Wiki. Web. 30 Oct. 2009. <http://equotes.wetpaint.com/page/Plato+Quotes>.