1. Walt: explore Plato’s ‘Analogy of the Cave’
by the end of the lesson
Able to summarize the story,
Explain some of the symbolism in the story
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6. PLATO’S STORY OF THE CAVE
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8. What is the point/purpose of the story?
What is the story about?
What is the point/purpose of the story?
What does each element represent:
People
Chains
Shadows
Fire
Cave
Pathway/bridge
Sun
Journey out of the cave
Journey back into the cave
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9. Homework: How would the prisoner feel?
Imagine you are the prisoners- re tell the story from your point of view.
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11. Plato: Forms Walt: explain what Plato’s concept of Forms is
Plato would say that chairs in this world are like shadows of real chairs, a dim reflection. But we have knowledge of the real ‘form’ of a chair.
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12. How do we know what a ‘Form’ is? Where do ‘Form’s’ come from?
What is a ‘Form’
How do we know what a ‘Form’ is?
Where do ‘Form’s’ come from?
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13. Describe these horses?
Particulars: the particular characteristics of something- e.g horses hooves, mane, gallop
Concept: the idea or form of something eg. horse
Phenomena: things as we experience (sense) them e.g see a horse
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14. Plato would say that you recognize these as horses because your soul has a memory of seeing the Form of the Horse in the eternal world of Forms.
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15. Form of the Good
World of Forms: is eternal and immutable
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16. Plato’s model of society
Body
Soul
State
Reason
Head
Reason
Philosopher-Kings
Spirit
Auxiliaries/Guardians
Appetite
Craftsmen/Artisans/Traders
Will
Chest
Abdomen
Appetite
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Plato's four virtues: wisdom, courage, moderation & justice

17. Which came first the chicken or the egg?
Plato would say the idea/Form of a chicken came before both.
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18. Walt: Criticise Plato’s Theory of Forms using Aristotle
Oi! Plato, your ideas suck
Starter: say what you don’t like about Plato
Plato’s argument is absolutist: it is fixed, without exceptions and applies to all situations.
It is an a priori argument – based on reason not sense experience
Think: Could we convince Plato he was wrong:? Plato’s theory of Forms can’t be proved (through the senses or scientifically) because it is beyond them. Plato said that sense experience is flawed therefore using it to prove is theory wouldn’t change his mind.
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19. Aristotle would say that the ‘Form’ of the horse is simply a construct that humans apply after experiencing a number of horses. The idea/Form of a horse is simply made up of the general characteristics of horses (the particulars)
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20. Aristotle: criticises Plato
The Form of something therefore exists in its characteristics (the particulars) not beyond it in some world of Forms. The Forms that we have in our mind are simply concepts in our mind based on our experience of things.
The world of the Forms is not real, but simply a reflection ( in our minds) of the real world that see, hear, smell, touch and taste (experience).
Experience comes first, then through our reasoning we can form ideas in our mind
You like this?
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21. Aristotle’s Objections
Why is this practically useful? Practical knowledge comes from careful observation.
If there are forms for each number, there is an infinity of possible numbers, then there is an infinity of possible forms
No proof
What is good?
Plato assumes that something that is pure it needs to be eternal- what about whiteness?
Why does no-one study the forms? Doctors?
Forms have no practical value
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22. Aristotle’s Objections
Empiricists would object various assumptions that we may know everything a priori, no empirical evidence
Popper argues that Plato is determined to find certainty in another world.
Ayer argues primitive superstition, ‘Love’ are not names of particular things but stand for other qualities
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23. Hierarchy of the Forms
The realm of forms is more superior than the realm of appearances.
The form of Good is above all.
The Sun is the Form of the Good, below is other forms such as beauty.
Greeks thought if we knew what was intellectual we would know the good thing to do, we would always do the right thing!
If there was wrong doing it was due to ignorance…
Only carefully selected could govern, the Athenian democracy was made up of ordinary people, it consisted those who are good not what was truly good.

24. Simile Divided line
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25. Essay Questions
“The simile of the cave tells us nothing about reality”
“To what extent can it be argued that education is about remembering, not learning?”
“How convincing is Plato’s idea of the Form of the Good?”
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26. Julia Annas
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