Explain Plato's Theory Of Forms

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PLATO

It is widely acknowledged that the Greek philosopher Plato laid the foundations of Western philosophy.. At the age of 20, Plato , like many other young men, fell under the spell of the controversial thinker and teacher Socrates. The impact on Plato was profound: he relinquished his political ambitions and devoted himself to philosophy. Plato founded an Academy in Athens. As indicated by the inscription at the entrance – “Let none without geometry enter” – geometry was foremost in the curriculum, along with mathematics and philosophy. Astronomy, biology, and political theory were also taught. Students at the Academy included Aristotle, much of whose philosophy was developed as a critique or extension of Plato’s ideas.

Before one can begin to understand and appreciate the contributions made by Plato to natural science, one should get acquainted with his metaphysics, the very foundation upon which his theories are laid “The Theory of Forms”.

Plato’s Metaphysics - Theory of Forms.

According to Plato the world of objects that surround us and which we perceive through our senses is not the real world. It is just an imperfect imitation of the real world, which according the Plato is the world of Forms. Forms can be considered to be an idea or a concept. Plato gives and explanation of what Forms are with the help of geometry. When one begins to draw a triangle, one has an idea of how it should be, one knows that it should have three side and each of the three sides

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