Plato’s Core Philosophy: Ideas, Soul, and Ideal State
Plato’s Philosophy: Foundations and Concepts
Point of Departure: Questioning Reality
Plato’s philosophy begins with a fundamental distrust of sensory experience, leading to three core questions:
- Ontological: What is the true nature of reality? (The reality of the Ideas themselves)
- Epistemological: How do we acquire true knowledge? (True knowledge of Ideas)
- Ethical: What are universal, necessary ideas and values? (Morality)
The Two Worlds
Plato posited the existence of two distinct realms:
The Sensible World
- Perceived by the senses.
- Corporeal and seemingly interchangeable.
- Exists through participation in an Idea.
- Multiple and ever-changing.
The World of Ideas
- Intelligible, captured by reason.
- Spiritual and immutable in themselves.
- Unique and eternal.
Plato posited the existence of a world of Ideas, a kind of ideal reality. It is crucial to avoid considering Platonic Ideas as purely mental constructs, existing only in our minds. Our thoughts must have their roots in something beyond mere reason.
Characteristics of Platonic Ideas
Platonic Ideas exist outside the sensible world and prior to it. They are:
- Extramental: They exist by themselves.
- Substantial: Spiritual, intangible, and intelligible.
- Objective, Immutable, and Eternal.
- Transcendent: They exist beyond the material world.
They authenticate reality; the Idea of a horse is more real than any particular horse. The Idea becomes an ideal model for what is material. Ideas are the form (essence) of things. The ideal world is where the true being of things (Ideas) resides.
The Soul, Knowledge, and Ethics
The Nature of the Soul and Innate Ideas
The soul is the psyche (mind), the guiding principle of knowledge. Plato believed it necessary that innate ideas exist prior to contact with the sensible world, as we apply these concepts to objects. The Idea must necessarily precede and allow us to recognize sensible instances. The reason for this is that the soul lived with the gods in the world of Ideas, thus knowing them. According to Plato, the human being is a duality between body (mortal, material, sensible) and soul (spiritual, immortal, from the world of Ideas).
Plato’s Chariot Allegory (Phaedrus)
The soul is eternal, a divine part where Ideas are immortal, and has a tripartite structure. The soul is like a chariot led by a charioteer and pulled by two horses (one white and one black) that flew past the world of Ideas. However, it fell, forgetting all it had seen in the sensible world. Yet, the soul retains dormant ideas, and knowledge is a process of reminiscence.
- The Charioteer (Auriga): Represents reason, located in the head. It directs the other two parts. Its virtue is prudence (wisdom, divine knowledge).
- The White Horse (Noble): Represents the spirited or irascible part, noble affections, located in the chest. Its virtue is courage.
- The Black Horse (Ignoble): Represents the appetitive or concupiscible part, base desires, located in the abdomen. Its virtue is temperance.
Plato’s Political Philosophy
The Ideal State in The Republic
Plato developed his political thought from the premise that, once the world of Ideas was understood, it was possible to conceive of an ideal Utopian state. In his dialogue The Republic, Plato elaborates a theory of an ideal state, perfectly organized by a philosopher-king. The virtues of social classes correspond to the virtues of the soul.
Justice and Social Harmony
Justice, applied to the state, lies in each citizen performing their designated work without interfering with the rights of others. The state should foster social harmony. The black horse represents the producer class, the white horse the guardians, and the charioteer-philosopher represents leadership.
The Role of Education
Children belong to the state, which educates them to extract the best from their souls, enabling them to fulfill their most adequate function, aiming to maintain harmonic balance and justice.
Exclusion of Poets
In his utopian state, the poet is excluded, as all art is merely a copy (of the sensible world) and pollutes the viewer, who irrationally succumbs to passions.
The Concept of Utopia
Utopia: An ideal model of society that does not exist anywhere.
Aristotle was the first to question this, followed by later political thinkers who argued that this combination is harmful. Kant, for example, would later clarify that power corrupts. Plato wanted ignorance and power to never be on the same side, while condemning wisdom.
Plato’s Enduring Legacy
Plato’s philosophy inaugurated a new way of thinking about the world that profoundly shaped Western history. The Academy had a long life until 529 CE, and his thought continued to influence the entire history of philosophy.