Plato’s Theory: The Intelligible World and Reminiscence
Plato’s Intelligible World
Plato posits the existence of two distinct worlds: a changing, material world accessible through our senses, and a perfect, eternal, and immutable world accessible only through reason and intellect. This intelligible world has always existed and is populated by Forms, Essences, or Ideas, representing the true nature of reality.
This world serves as a paradigm. The Demiurge, contemplating this perfection (the Good Idea), imposed order on the chaotic realm, resulting in the Cosmos. The Ideas within this world are unique, eternal, perfect, and immutable. They are copied or imitated by everything in our world, allowing them to partake in that perfection and exist.
The rational soul of human beings, according to Plato, originates from this intelligible world. Through the dialectical method and reminiscence, the soul can access true reality. The rational soul, once dwelling in this world, knew and loved these Ideas, and aspires to return to them. Through repeated reincarnations, the soul undergoes purification, ultimately earning its permanent place in the intelligible world.
Reminiscence: The Innate Knowledge
Reminiscence is Plato’s theory asserting the innateness of ideas. Learning is not starting from zero but rather remembering. The immortal rational soul, having encountered the World of Ideas, forgets this knowledge upon being embodied in a mortal body. The soul must then gradually recall this knowledge.
If the soul had not previously known Beauty, Truth, or Goodness, we would not recognize them in this world. We might mistakenly believe in moral relativism, as the Sophists argued. However, the soul recognizes and desires the Good when perceived. Although the soul loses its “wings” (the means of returning to the world of Ideas), they can be reborn through this process of recollection, guiding the soul back to its true home.
This process of recall takes years. The Myth of the Cave in Plato’s Republic illustrates the dialectical process that leads the rational soul to enlightenment. To know is to remember, revealing the innateness of ideas and the pre-existence and immortality of the soul. The soul and body are united by accident, suggesting that the soul should not be burdened by its mortal vessel.