Plato’s Theory of Forms and Platonic Anthropology
Plato’s Theory of Forms
Plato, born Aristocles in 427 BC, came from an aristocratic family and was closely linked to politics. In 407 BC, he met Socrates, becoming his disciple until Socrates’ death. Plato founded the Academy of Athens and died there in 347 BC. He often wrote in the form of dialogue, with Socrates as the subject of many. Notable works include Phaedo, The Republic, Parmenides, and Laws.
Plato’s most important theory addresses Socrates’ search for Truth and Justice, i.e., universal ideas. Plato posits two distinct worlds: a world of spiritual essences accessed through intelligence, including the human soul, and the world we live in, grasped by the senses. The world of ideas contains the ideal model, the universal concept—eternal and perfect (akin to Parmenides’ Idea). It’s a world we don’t see but exists. The material world is changing and less real than the intelligible world. Things in this world are imperfect imitations striving for perfection.
Plato believed the intelligible world leads to Happiness and knowledge of Universal Concepts, i.e., knowing the Truth. We prioritize the intelligible world because the material world is merely an imitation. The concept of the material world draws from Heraclitus’ ideas.
Essence is the idea shared by beings of the same species. Essence exists apart from particular things and is the true object of thought. Particular things lack true reality because they participate in the Essence. The sensible world imitates the intelligible world, with things mimicking essences created by a Demiurge who translates ideas. There’s also a relationship of participation, where things partake in essences. Good is the supreme idea from which other ideas emanate. Plato equates Good (intelligible world) with the Sun (material world), as the sun illuminates and Good leads to Truth. In his later years, Plato proposed changes due to emerging doubts.
Platonic Anthropology
Platonic Anthropology is a consequence of the Theory of Ideas. The dualistic conception of the world extends to the conception of man, who exists in two aspects: body and soul. The body originates from the material world, while the soul does not. The body is mortal, and the soul is immortal. The union of body and soul is transitory. Plato argued that the soul must free itself from the body, which tyrannizes and controls us. Plato distinguishes three parts of the soul:
- Rational Soul: Located in the head, closest to the intelligible world, and immortal.
- Irascible Soul: Located in the thorax, responsible for noble passions and mediating between the material world and the world of Ideas.
- Concupiscible Soul: Located in the lower abdomen, related to needs and desires, and closest to the sensible world.
The rational part of the soul aspires to the Ideal world. The soul reincarnates because the body cannot satisfy our quest for an Ideal, happy life.