Aristotle and Plato

Sammi Zandt



FD 1.1: Plato and Aristotle:
Metaphysics and Epistemology:
Plato (Ratonalist):
Theory of Forms:
 Forms  eternal, immutable, tmeleee, eeiet beyond epace, known by reaeon, univereale
 Partculars  known by ep, changeable, imperfect, eeiet in tme & epace
 Form of the Good  that which every Form hae in common. Reaching the FoG ie an
achievement of Eudaimonia
Functon of Forms:
 Metaphysics = they are what ie moet real
 Epistemology = they are what ie known (& what allowe ue to graep partculares

The 3 Similes:
 Sensible Realm  realm of the phyeical i.e. partculare, eenee ep
 Intelligible Realm beyond thie world, doeen’t eeiet in tmeeepace ∴ acquainted with the Forme
 The eeneible world ie like a ‘ehadow’ of the intelligible world.

The Simile of the Sun (507c – 509b), The Republic, Book VI:
 Dividee ‘k’ into 2 categoriee
1. Form of the Good = Sun
2. Mind (reaeons ie given the power to eee by the FoG juet like the Eye ie given the power to eee by
the eun
3. FoG ie the cauee of knowledge juet like the eun ie the cauee of Sight which makee thinge vieible
4. Other Forms are given eeietence by the FoG juet like the eun ie the eource of the eeietence of
Visible Things
The Divided Line Analogy (509d – 511e), The Republic, Book VI:
 Dividee ‘k’ into 4 categoriee
 It confrme the eimilarity and diference between the eeneible and intelligible realme
 Realm of Doxa (Opinion)  Visible realm = a) partculare (pistus) b) their ehadowe, imaginaton
i.e. art, poetry (eikasia)
 Vieible realm refecte a more real one. There muet be an original ae ehadowe muet have an
object they are ehadowing (formes
 Realm of Episteme (‘k’)  Intelligible realm = a) Forme (noesis) b) repreeentatone of intelligible
realitee i.e. mathematcal knowledge (dianoia)
1. Noeisis  Forme
2. Dianoia  Math Diagrame  makee uee of vieible thinge e.g. diagrame to repreeent concepte
3. Pistus  Partculare
4. Eikasia  Imaginaton, art, poetry  a ehadow of partculare