Selections: Books VI-VII Plato, Republic Selections: Books VI-VII

Nature of Forms 507b ff. Many beautiful and good things and acts only one beauty itself and good itself; i.e., one Form vs. many instances A Form is “the being” of a thing – its essence. Things are visible but not intelligible; Forms are not visible, but are intelligible. The difference between Sight and other senses. Plato wants to use this to make an analogy.

The Analogy Between the Sun and the Form of the Good Three things required for sight: (1) a physical object to see, (2) an apparatus to see with (the eye), (3) a light source (like the Sun) to illuminate the object allowing the eye to see. Similarly, three things required for thought: (1) a thought object (Forms); an apparatus to think with (psyche or soul or mind); (3) a ‘thought’ source (the Form of the Good) to ‘illuminate’ the thought objects (Forms) that allow the mind to think.

The Analogy Between the Sun and the Form of the Good Just as the Sun in the Visible Realm by its Light is the Cause of Sight (and of the existence of objects of sight) so the Form of the Good in the Intelligible Realm by its reason is the cause of knowledge and of the existence of the objects of knowledge. As The Eye is to the Mind, Visible Objects are to Forms, And the Sun is to the Form of the Good.

The Image of the Divided Line

The Image of the Divided Line Two World view (again) As you ascend the line things get more real and more knowable. You can only have Conjecture or imaginings about images, beliefs, about visible objects, partially justified beliefs about Mathematical objects. Knowledge (a fully justified true belief) is possible only under the guidance of the Form of the Good.

The Image of the Divided Line One example of a partially justified belief would come from the method of hypothesis since any truths that come from this method are contingent on the truth of the beginning assumption. Somehow, full knowledge must have a dialectical method that proves its beginning assumptions. Although Plato came up with other dialectical methods (e.g., Collection and Division), none seemed to do the job he required.

Relation between the Image of the Divided Line and the Allegory of the Cave The Divided is a like a map whereas the allegory of the cave is like a description of a journey one has taken using the map provided. The Allegory of the Cave tells us of Socrates’ journey from the bottom to the top of the Divided Line.

The Allegory of the Cave: the Prisoner’s seeing images

The Allegory of the Cave

The Allegory of the Cave: Ignorance and Education Why does Socrates say that the men/prisoners in the cave are like us? Why does Socrates use the underlined phrases when he describes a prisoner’s freedom from the chains as: When one of them was freed and suddenly compelled to stand up …” (515c). He also says that during this process, the prisoner would be “pained and dazzled and unable to see the things whose shadows he had seen before.” Why?

The Allegory of the Cave: Ignorance and Education Inconsequential things we thought we knew. Increased difficulty as we move into the light. Inability to see new things and old. Time to adjust (The time required for education) The freed prisoner’s responsibility to his fellow prisoners. Their hatred of him (Sophists).