Plato's Theory of Forms (Essay Sample)

Plato’s Theory of Forms Student’s name Institutional affiliations Course Instructor’s details Date Plato’s Theory of Forms Plato was an ancient philosopher, a student of Socrates who believed that wisdom is the most crucial thing of existence. Plato did a lot to change the world and how people think through his many contributions. His major influential contribution was the formulation of the theory of forms. The theory of forms conformed to the concept that the physical world is an illusion that is not real; instead, the theory says that the ultimate reality only exists beyond our physical world. To make sense of this point of view, Plato presents various dialogues. However, one of his former students, Aristotle, disagrees with his theory of forms and thinks from a very different point of view. In this post, we will look into the doctrines of Plato of forms and Aristotle's disagreements. In his view, Plato thought that there are two main forms of the realm; the spiritual realm and the physical realm. Plato stated that the physical realm consists of anything material or tangible and visible that human beings interact with daily (Jordan, 2020). He insisted that the physical realm keeps on changing, depreciating, and imperfects. On the other hand, Plato stated that the spiritual realm exists beyond the physical realm. Arguably, Plato refers to the spiritual realm as the realm of forms. Therefore, in his arguments, Plato conforms to the idea that the physical realm is a shadow (Not real) and insists that the realm of forms is the true reality. According to Plato, forms are basically the unchanging, perfect, or abstract ideas or concepts that transcend space and time. Essentially, Plato's main idea was that the realm of forms is immortal compared to the physical world. He presents us with the concept that even though forms are abstracts, it does not necessarily imply that they are not real. Instead, he insists that the forms are even more real than any material belongings of an individual. As such, Plato dismisses the physical world, holding that it is not really because, over time, it depreciates and even change. From an early age, Plato had conformed to Socratic ideology, which insisted on wisdom as the most superior aspect of a human being. Plato believed that the ultimate happiness is acquired through the love of God, character, and virtue. He also believed that society plays a significant role in contributing to this happiness. Moreover, Plato believed that virtue and happiness could be achieved through knowledge (Bazaluk, 2019). He was with the idea that the only way to acquire this knowledge is through an in-depth intellect or reasoning. This is why Plato brought up the concept of forms that he presented as the main cause of the existence of everything and the primary objects of knowledge. In order to build a solid defense to his philosophy, Plato introduces various dialogues, for example, republic. Plato arrived at the idea of the theory of forms by using arguments and facts to support his philosophy. In his defense of the theory, he used an example of the human ability to identify an aspect despite their known differences (Dillon, 2017).. He used an example of the blueness of the sky and the blueness of the sea. He claimed that an individual could identify this type of blueness based on the form of blueness that the individual has on his mind. Also, Plato used the argument of perfection, suggesting that we have a concept of a perfect circle. Plato held a firm belief that every aspect of the material world reflects perfect form that exists in a realm of universals. Plato further argued that our intuitive knowledge allows individuals to identify things or objects for what they are. He said that a perfect circle would not be imagined without the existence of a form of a circle. Plato also argued that contemplation is the main form in which an individual can understand various realms. Aristotle response to Plato theory of forms Despite his continuous and substantial arguments through his theory of forms, Aristotle expressed his disagreements and criticism of Plato's theory. Aristotle was a student of Plato, and thus his views are colored by Plato's philosophy. However, he was quick to dismiss Plato's argument, especially on his famous contribution to the theory of forms. He criticized Plato's theory of forms mainly because his argument was entirely theoretical. In his argument, Plato claimed that ultimate happiness is entirely dependent upon society. Aristotle dismissed this argument when he claimed that happiness depends not on society but a sole individual. He was against the ideas of Plato that an entire population can determine the ultimate happiness of a single individual (Broadie, 2019). Instead, he argued that individuals could attain the ultimate happiness if they practice virtues. In his defense, he said that an individual could decide by himself to get happiness, but a large population has no such power. In his theory, Plato believed that every man's goal is to become one with the entire universe. However, Aristotle completely dismissed Plato on a human being's ultimate goal in the universe. In his view, Aristotle argued that the purpose of every man in the universe is to achieve excellence and eventually become a master of his own (Lear, 2018). Aristotle believed that every man has a purpose and a goal to accomplish on this earth. He further believed that every man must achieve something in the world which makes them complete. He criticized Plato for his claim on human beings becoming a whole, claiming the world is no real, another real world. Since he was a very young individual, Plato grew up on Socrates' teachings that subscribed to wisdom as the most superior aspect of every man. As such, Plato subscribed to the idea that the foundation of all virtues ranked wisdom as the top virtue. He considered that possessing wisdom gives an individual a tangible power in the universe. However, Aristotle criticized and expressed his disagreements with this type of thinking...