Assignment

Plato’s Philosophy

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Question 1

Plato's theory of knowledge-Plato presents the contest between seekers of knowledge episteme, versus purveyors of opinions, doxa. He begins with the contrast between knowledge and opinion and the question why is one, knowledge, so much preferable to the other, opinion. Opinion can possibly be true, in the case that it serves as a successful guide to action. But even true opinion (Klein&P. 2017), cannot be defended, and it flees when attacked. However, knowledge differs from mere opinion in that it can be defended by a logos, a rational explanation of why that opinion is true. This emerges the formula that knowledge is true opinion accompanied by a logos.This means that the real difference between opinion and knowledge lies in the justification. An opinion can become justified by showing how it can be deduced from other premises, if those premises are true.

Plato argued that since such definitions are necessarily true what they are true of, their objects, cannot possibly change, for if the object were to change, then what is true of them at one time could not be at a later time, hence making it not be necessarily true. Therefore, he concluded that the object of knowledge can never change (Rowett&C. 2018). But everything in the physical world like,in space and time is changeable. So if there is knowledge, and Plato thinks the example of mathematics establishes that there is, then there must be some "other world" of changeless, eternal objects. Plato's attempt to explicate this "other world" is known as his Theory of Forms.

The theory of Forms begins in the epistemological context of distinguishing knowledge from opinion, but the epistemological distinction between knowledge versus opinion implies a metaphysical distinction between what is real versus what merely appears to be so.Epistemologically the Forms appear as the objects of knowledge (Wedgwood&R. 2018). Knowledge must have an object which it is knowledge of. Knowing what that object is, is essential for an adequate theory of knowledge, an epistemology. So Plato lays down the crucial claim that the object of knowledge is real. This is the role that the Form, is called upon to play; by definition, it is the real object of knowledge.

Hence, physical objects we perceive with our senses cannot serve as the objects of knowledge, for what appears, for example, beautiful from one point of view, appears ugly from another. So the true lover of beauty should not pursue beautiful things, but should seek that which makes the beautiful things beautiful (Klein&P. 2017). Opinions takes the physical objects we perceive with our senses can be true at one time and false at another, for such objects change. Opinions are fallible while knowledge is certain.Physical objects, seen by the bodily senses, form the second level of Plato theory of reality; they exist in the Realm of Becoming. This is the physical world, the world of space and time in which one's body dwells.

As an individual, beliefs are important because they guide you to make ethical decisions. They also form a base of the starting point of finding the truth about something (Wedgwood&R. 2018). If you beliefs are correct then it means they can act as truth. This is the point where you can convince your friends to regard your beliefs since they are true and you can be able to justify them.

References

Klein, P. (2017). The nature of knowledge. Explaining knowledge: New essays on the Gettier problem, 35-56.

Rowett, C. (2018). Knowledge and truth in Plato: Stepping past the shadow of Socrates. Oxford University Press.

Wedgwood, R. (2018). Plato's theory of knowledge.