Plato

Question 1

what’s rationalism?

Answer 1

reason as the chief source and test of knowledge,using logic and thoughts

Question 2

what’s knowledge based on rationalism called?

Answer 2

a prior knowledge

Question 3

who was a rationlist?

Answer 3

Plato,mistrusted the senses

Question 4

what’s empiricism?

Answer 4

all concepts originate in experience,so sense experience is used and it requires proof

Question 5

what knowledge is based on empiricism?

Answer 5

posteriori knowledge

Question 6

who was a empiricist?

Answer 6

Aristotle

Question 7

where did Plato create his theory?

Answer 7

he was interested in where knowledge came from,agreeing with Socrates that the Greek gods were no longer a plausible explanation.

Question 8

Where did Plato write about his theory of knowledge?

Answer 8

in his book the Republic

Question 9

what did Plato believe about knowledge?

Answer 9

that it should be permanent and fixed so it can’t be based on the sense as these are always changing

Question 10

how was Plato influenced by Heraclitus ?

Answer 10

‘you cannot step into the same river twice’ - this means that the world is in a constant change of state

Question 11

what did Plato believe?

Answer 11

if the world is changing all of the time, then knowledge would be too,unless knowledge was found outside of the world

Question 12

what did Plato call the two worlds?

Answer 12

the world of appearances (our world) and the real world (world of the forms) in which all the forms exist

Question 13

what’s a form?

Answer 13

the idea of what a thing is,it doesn’t change it is an everlasting concept as this must exist somewhere in a different reality

Question 14

why did Plato say the world of the forms had to exist?

Answer 14

because the world that appears to our sense is faulty

Question 15

which of the forms did Plato view as the most important?

Answer 15

goodness,beauty and equality

Question 16

why did Plato feel that the forms of beauty, truth and justice were important?

Answer 16

because these concepts can be applied to all sort of different things ,so all these things must correspond to some extent

Question 17

what is the form of the good?

Answer 17

the most important form as it allows us to recognise other forms such as justice,truth and beauty

Question 18

what was Plato’s cave anology?

Answer 18

An analogy used by Plato to explain how others in the real world couldn’t comprehend the realm of the forms which holds the actual forms of ideas represented by the people being tied down and only being able to see the shadows,not believing that that’s not the actual thing

Question 19

who represents Plato in the cave analogy?

Answer 19

the person who escapes and sees the sun,as Plato understands the realm of the forms and try’s to teach people on earth what this is

Question 20

strengths of the cave analogy ?

Answer 20

-Empirical knowledge can be flawed(prisoners think shadows are real)
-It gives reasons for all the imperfections of the world,they are all copies
-We can recognise these in perfect copies of the forms as we live there before

Question 21

Weaknesses of the cave analogy 

Answer 21

-Unclear link between the world of appearances in the forms(how are they connected)
-How does one realise the truth and reality of the forms in order to become in lightened if you have to die to experience it (how can someone come back and tell the people in the cave)
-Plato’s argument is absolutist (fixed for ever)not everyone excepts this, Aristotle was critical of photos argument because he could not agree that the form of something has a separate existence over and above the particular
-No concrete proof that world in table outside is real(how can you prove philosopher is right)
-Just because someone is philosophically enlightened and intelligent does that mean they’re perfect for leadership

Question 22

what was Descartes wax analogy?

Answer 22

If you were to leave a ball of wax by the fireplace and return later to pool of liquid your senses were tell you something different but your reason knows it is the same wax the left there

Question 23

what book did Plato question knowledge in?

Answer 23

theaetetus

Question 24

particulars?

Answer 24

the name plato gives to the objects in the empirical world which are merely imperfect copies of the form