Plato’s Theory of Forms
Stepping out of the shadows and into the light
- Plato’s Theory of Forms proposes two worlds: the imperfect physical realm we see and the perfect, eternal world of abstract Forms.
- Physical objects are considered flawed reflections of perfect Forms, emphasizing their impermanence and constant change.
- Plato’s Allegory of the Cave symbolizes the journey from ignorance to knowledge, emphasizing the transition from the world of appearances to the world of Forms.
- Despite critiques, Plato’s Theory of Forms continues to influence metaphysical and epistemological discussions, shaping perspectives on reality and knowledge acquisition.
Plato’s Theory of Forms is one of the most influential philosophical ideas in history. Although it may look a bit weird at first sight, understanding Plato’s Theory of Forms is essential for anyone interested in philosophy or even the history of religion, since Christianity was heavily influenced by Plato’s vision of a perfect world, situated somewhere “out there.”
Created with Dall-E
The Basic Question Behind the Theory of Forms
Plato’s Theory of Forms is a philosophical concept that explains the nature of reality. The basic question goes something like this:
We can see trees, cats, circles and many other things in everyday life, and we can easily recognise each one as the thing it is supposed to be. But, if we look closer, we never really see anything like a “standard cat.” Every cat is different, and so is every tree and every drawn circle. Especially with geometric forms, they are never perfect. Every circle we can see in our world is either broken, distorted, pixelated, or in a myriad of other ways not “a perfect circle.” In fact, a perfect geometrical circle would need to be drawn with a line that does not have any thickness, and so would be invisible!
So how is it, Plato asks, that we are able to identify circles, trees and cats if have actually never seen a “standard” thing of each kind?
There are two worlds, Plato says: the world of physical objects and the world of Forms. The world of physical objects is the world we see around us, while the world of Forms is the world of abstract concepts and ideas. The Forms are perfect, unchanging, and eternal, while the physical objects we see around us are imperfect, changing, and temporary.
For every thing in the real world, there is a “perfect” image somewhere in the world of Forms. A perfect cat, a perfect tree, a perfect circle. Our souls dimly remember these Forms, and by comparing the imperfect things in our world with the remembered Forms, we are able to identify what each thing is supposed to be.
Historical Context: Plato and the Theory of Forms
Plato was a Greek philosopher who lived from 428/427 BCE to 348/347 BCE. He was a student of Socrates and a teacher of Aristotle – the middle link in probably the most illustrious chain of teacher-student relationships that ever existed. Plato is known for many philosophical works, including his famous book “The Republic,” which includes his theory of Forms. But he worked also on many other areas of philosophy – so much so, that it has been said that all philosophy is nothing but “footnotes to Plato.”
Plato’s theory of Forms was developed in response to the philosophical problems of his time. One of the main issues was how to explain the relationship between the physical world and the world of ideas or concepts. Plato believed that the physical world was only a shadow or imitation of the real world of Forms.
Conceptual Foundation of the Theory of Forms
Plato’s theory of Forms is based on the idea that there is a realm of perfect, unchanging, and eternal Forms that exist beyond the physical world.
These Forms are the true reality, and the physical world is only a copy or imitation of them. For example, there is a perfect Form of a circle that exists beyond the physical world, and all physical circles are imperfect copies of this Form.
Plato believed that the Forms are the ultimate source of knowledge and truth. The physical world is constantly changing and imperfect, but the Forms are unchanging and perfect. Therefore, knowledge of the Forms is more certain and reliable than knowledge of the physical world.
Out of space and time
The Forms reside in a space that is real (not only in the mind), but outside of space and time. They are not just “in the sky somewhere” – Plato explicitly calls the “place” they exist hyperouranios topos, meaning “place beyond the sky,” perhaps what we would today call “another plane of existence.”
Also, Forms are located outside of time. They are not “eternal” in the sense that they last for a very long (infinite) time; instead, they are located entirely outside of the flow of time. This is a concept that we find in both modern cosmology and the Christian conception of the creation of the world. Whether we think of the beginning of creation as a kind of “Big Bang” or as God creating the universe in seven days, it makes no sense to ask “and what was before that?” It makes no sense, precisely because the universe includes time. Time was created along with the rest of the universe. Before the universe existed, there was no time, the assumption goes, and so it’s meaningless to ask what was there “before” creation began. It’s as meaningless as asking what happened to me before I was born. My personal history begins with my birth (or my conception as a fetus, it makes no difference to this point), and there just is no personal history of mine before that.
Since the Forms are out of space and time, they are not accessible to our senses. We can only dimly remember them or perceive them with our minds. The higher developed one’s intellect and wisdom is, the more they will be able to perceive the Forms; but ultimately, the Forms always stay out of reach for the human grasp. Human wisdom essentially consists in being able to comprehend more of the real nature of things, by being able to have a somewhat better perception of the Forms.
The Allegory of the Cave
One of the most famous examples of Plato’s theory of Forms is the Allegory of the Cave. In this allegory, Plato describes a group of people who have been chained in a cave since birth and can only see shadows of objects on the opposite cave wall. The real objects are held into the light behind them, but since they are chained, they cannot turn their heads. So the only thing they can see are the shadows.
The people in the cave believe that these shadows are the only reality and have no knowledge of the outside world. One day, one of the prisoners is freed and is able to turn around and see the objects that are creating the shadows. This person realizes that the shadows are not the true reality and that there is a whole world outside the cave that they have never seen. The allegory illustrates Plato’s belief that the physical world is only a shadow or imitation of the real world of Forms.
Leaving the Cave
What would happen if the person who was taken outside the cave were allowed to return and talk to his fellow prisoners? He would tell them an unbelievable story about how rich and filled with colour and light the world outside is. And when he returned to the cave to talk to them, his eyes would still be accustomed to the bright light outside and he would appear to be temporarily blind.
The others would just see someone who was taken away, blinded, and whose mind has been damaged. They would refuse to be taken out of the cave. Should anyone try to pull them out of their prison, they would, if they were able, kill him, just in order to stay where they are – in their self-chosen darkness.
Interpretation and Analysis
Plato uses the Allegory of the Cave to explain his theory of Forms, which states that there is a realm of abstract concepts that exist beyond the physical world. These concepts, such as beauty, justice, and truth, are the true reality and are eternal and unchanging. The physical world, on the other hand, is constantly changing and contains only shadows or imperfect copies of these abstract concepts.
This explains why in our world we don’t find perfect justice, perfect happiness or perfect love. It also is supposed to explain why a wise man, like Socrates for example, is able to be happy in a better, stronger, clearer way than most of us.
The people in the cave represent those who are ignorant of these abstract concepts and only see the physical world. The prisoner who is freed represents someone who has gained knowledge of the true reality and has seen the Forms. The journey of the prisoner out of the cave represents the journey of the philosopher out of ignorance and into knowledge. But for mortal beings, the ultimate, full perception of the Forms is not possible.
A similar motive underlies the transcendence of God in Christian belief. When we die, and if we have lived good, God-fearing lives, we will be resurrected as immortal souls who exist in the presence of God, in another, perfect world. You can see the echoes of Plato in this vision.
Plato’s Cave and the Enlightenment
One can also see a more political point in the Allegory. The men still inside the cave see what happened to their fellow who was taken outside and they refuse to follow him. They refuse to leave the cave, preferring their miserable, reduced existence to the blinding light of the sun.
This could be seen as social criticism. Philosophers as well as social reformers have often complained that “the masses” are complicit in their own misery because they refuse to endure the temporary pain of leaving their accustomed roles and certainties in order to lead richer, better lives. While being taken out of the Cave is painful, in the end the fuller, free life outside is infinitely preferable to being bound up in the dark. But the prisoners neither understand that nor are they willing to give it a try.
This “mental imprisonment” can happen at all levels. It can be the imprisonment in a world of consumerist capitalism, or even the alleged imprisonment of the modern logical mind in dualist categories of thought. Immanuel Kant, one of history’s greatest philosophers, once urged his fellow men to come out of their “self-imposed immaturity.” This too is an echo of Plato’s freed prisoner.
Plato’s theory of Forms has been influential in philosophy and has been used to explain a wide range of concepts, from the nature of knowledge to the meaning of beauty and the nature of love. The Allegory of the Cave is a powerful example that helps to illustrate this theory.
The World of Appearances
Plato believed that the world of Forms is the only true reality, and that the physical world is merely a shadow or imitation of this world. He believed that the physical world is constantly changing and imperfect, while the world of Forms is eternal and unchanging. The world of Forms is the source of all knowledge and truth, and it is the ultimate reality.
Created with Midjourney.
The world of Appearances, on the other hand, is the world we see around us. It is the physical world that we experience through our senses. This world is constantly changing and imperfect, and it is a mere reflection of the world of Forms. The objects we see in the physical world are imperfect copies of the perfect ideas that exist in the world of Forms.
Plato’s ideas about the eternal world of perfect Forms provided a template upon which Christian philosophers could build their vision of the eternal, transcendent realm of God.
Application in Everyday Life
Plato’s theory of Forms may seem abstract, but it has practical implications for our everyday lives. Here are two ways in which this theory can help us better understand the world around us.
Perception of reality
Plato believed that the physical world we see around us is not the true reality. Instead, it is a mere shadow or copy of the real world of Forms. This means that when we look at a chair, for example, we are not really seeing the chair itself, but rather a flawed copy of the ideal Form of a chair.
This idea suggests that what we see and experience in the physical world is not necessarily the whole truth. There may be deeper, more fundamental realities that we cannot see directly. For example, we may see a beautiful sunset, but according to Plato’s theory, that sunset is just a shadow of the true Form of Beauty.
Understanding of knowledge and education
This brings us to the implications of the theory of Forms for our understanding of knowledge. According to Plato, knowledge is not something that we acquire through our senses or through empirical observation.
Instead, knowledge is a matter of recollection, of remembering the Forms that we encountered before we were born.
This means that when we learn something new, we are not really acquiring new knowledge, but rather remembering something that we already knew at a deeper level. For example, when we learn about the concept of justice, we are not really learning something new, but rather remembering the ideal Form of Justice that our soul encountered before we were born.
Education is immensely important for Plato, because it allows us to come closer to a perception of the Forms, even in this life. But it has to be the right kind of education. Studying a business degree, for example, is not as relevant to the perception of the Forms as would be, say, a degree in mathematics or physics. The important knowledge is the knowledge that allows us to understand the laws of the universe, to comprehend its hidden beauty, and to approach God’s view of the world – the Forms.
Freeing oneself from the Cave
Finally, one could embrace the political aspects of the Allegory of the Cave and make the point that we should be more open to the possibility that our comfortable lives are, in reality, less that they could be.
Although acquiring wealth in a capitalist system might seem pleasant, we should acknowledge the possibility that it is just another form of enslavement, which is as invisible to us as the existence of the outside world is to the prisoners in the Cave. Instead of clinging to our Cave, this interpretation would say, we should be willing to take a chance on the possibility that we might be missing out on a life that we cannot even imagine now, one that would be infinitely richer and more satisfying than what we have now.
Also, in smaller things: One who has never read many books might doubt what the value of reading books is. One who does not visit art museums might doubt that they provide anything useful. One who does not play the piano might ask what good learning the skill will do. But in all these cases, the Allegory would suggest, it is the prisoner speaking: the one who cannot possibly judge the merits of the wider world outside their own limitations of perception. To judge museums, one must know museums. To judge the value of learning the piano, one must have learnt it – and so on.
Instead of dismissing the unfamiliar, the Allegory teaches us, we should embrace it. We might just discover a whole world of wonders waiting out there for us.
The Influence Plato’s Theory of Forms
Plato’s Theory of Forms has been subject to a number of critiques and counter-arguments throughout history. One of the most famous critiques comes from Aristotle, who argued that the Theory of Forms does not adequately explain the relationship between the material world and the world of Forms. Aristotle believed that Forms are not separate entities, but rather are inherent in the objects themselves.
This eventually led, in the Middle Ages, to the problem of universals, which occupied many of the greatest philosophers of the time. The question was: what is the nature of general terms, like “horse” or “cat”? Is there something in the world that corresponds to what I mean when I say “horse”? Of course, the world contains individual horses and cats, but no “horse” in the abstract. So what does “horse” then denote or point to? Some philosophers thought that such general words are just abbreviations of our language. Others thought that they really point to something, a kind of “universal object.” This could be seen as being close to Plato’s idea of Forms.
@Coming soon: A Daily Philosophy article on universals
Another critique of the Theory of Forms comes from the philosopher Parmenides, who argued that the very concept of “non-being” is incoherent. Parmenides believed that Forms cannot exist separately from the objects that instantiate them, and therefore rejected the idea that Forms have an independent existence.
In modern times, many philosophers have criticized Plato’s Theory of Forms for its lack of empirical evidence. Some argue that the Theory of Forms is nothing more than a philosophical construct, and that there is no way to prove the existence of Forms. And if we cannot possibly either verify or falsify a theory, then what is the value of such a theory?
Others have criticized the Theory of Forms for its lack of explanatory power. For example, some argue that the Theory of Forms does not adequately explain anything.
Implications for Metaphysics
Plato’s Theory of Forms has had a significant impact on the development of metaphysics. The idea that there is a realm of Forms or Ideas that exists beyond the physical world has influenced many philosophical discussions about the nature of reality. As we saw above, the concept of universals, which are properties or qualities that exist in multiple instances, can be traced back to Plato’s Theory of Forms.
One of the most significant implications of the Theory of Forms for metaphysics is the idea that the physical world is merely a reflection or copy of the world of Forms. This has led to debates about the relationship between the physical and metaphysical worlds.
Impact on Epistemology
Plato’s Theory of Forms also has implications for epistemology, or the study of knowledge. According to Plato, knowledge is not obtained through sensory experience but rather through the intellect. This means that true knowledge can only be obtained through the contemplation of the Forms.
This has led to discussions about the nature of knowledge and how it is obtained. Modern science, for example, is empirical: it believes that we can gain true knowledge about the world by observation and experiment. As opposed to that, so-called rationalists believe that true knowledge about the world can only be obtained through rational thought, since all experiments and observations are necessarily imperfect. This debate reached its climax in the early modern period, with the works of Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz, Berkeley and Hume. The philosopher Immanuel Kant tried to synthesise the two opposing positions into one grand system.
Your ad-blocker ate the form? Just click here to subscribe!
Plato’s Theory of Forms: Frequently Asked Questions
What is Plato’s Theory of Forms and why is it important in philosophy?
Plato’s Theory of Forms is a philosophical concept that explains the nature of reality. According to this theory, there are two realms of existence: the world of Forms and the world of appearances. The world of Forms is the realm of eternal, unchanging, and perfect entities, while the world of appearances is the realm of physical objects that we perceive with our senses. Plato believed that the world of Forms is more real and more important than the world of appearances because it is the source of all knowledge, truth, and beauty.
How does Plato’s Theory of Forms relate to our everyday experiences?
Plato’s Theory of Forms helps us understand the difference between appearance and reality. From Descartes and Buddhism to the Little Prince, many have questioned how “real” the reality we perceive actually is. One could argue that the senses are likely to deceive us about reality. We know of optical illusions, for example. Or about hallucinations that can be induced by stress, illness or drugs. And some concepts, like the beauty of a mathematical formula, or the symmetry of subatomic particles, cannot be perceived by the senses at all.
Plato’s theory gives us a way to think about these phenomena, and to describe the nature of purely intellectual beauty. It also allows us to understand better the Christian concept of an afterlife, which was heavily influenced by Platonic ideas.
Finally, we can see the Allegory of the Cave as a call to leave the “cave” of our self-imposed limitations in life, and to venture to make experiences that are out of our comfort zone. While this might be scary at first, it might eventually open up lives to us that are so rich and satisfying that we are now unable to imagine them – just as the prisoners in the cave cannot imagine the richness of the sunlit world outside.
What is Plato’s allegory of the cave and how does it relate to his Theory of Forms?
Plato’s allegory of the cave is a metaphorical story that illustrates the difference between appearance and reality. In the story, prisoners are chained in a cave and can only see shadows on the wall. They believe that the shadows are the only reality, but in fact, they are only appearances. When one of the prisoners is freed and sees the outside world, he realizes that the shadows were only a poor imitation of reality. The allegory of the cave illustrates Plato’s Theory of Forms because it shows that the world of appearances is a poor imitation of the world of Forms.
Plato’s Symposium is one of humanity’s immortal texts on love. Seven friends gather at a party one night in ancient Athens and discuss the nature of love.
What are some examples of Forms and how do they relate to the material world?
Some examples of Forms include beauty, justice, and goodness. But everything else also has, in principle, a corresponding ideal Form.
These Forms are eternal and unchanging, and they exist independently of physical objects. For example, a beautiful flower is only a temporary and imperfect manifestation of the Form of beauty. By seeking knowledge of the Forms, we can understand the true nature of reality and avoid being deceived by appearances.
What is the role of education in Plato’s Theory of Forms?
Education plays a crucial role in Plato’s Theory of Forms because it is the means by which we can gain knowledge of the Forms. According to Plato, education should be focused on the study of mathematics and philosophy, which are the disciplines that can lead us to knowledge of the Forms. By studying mathematics and philosophy, we can train our minds to understand the eternal and unchanging nature of reality.
Andreas Matthias on Daily Philosophy:
