The Bloomsbury Companion to Plato by Gerald A. Press;

Author:Gerald A. Press; [Press;, Gerald A.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781474250924
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Published: 2015-09-15T05:00:00+00:00

FORMS (EIDOS) (IDEA)

Kenneth Sayre

Perhaps the best known doctrine associated with Plato is his so-called theory of forms. Yet that theory is never fully articulated in his extant writings. It has even been questioned whether Plato’s thoughts about forms constituted an actual theory (Sayre 1995b). A consequence is that there is considerable disagreement about the contents of the account in question. This article summarizes the account’s main features without attempting to arbitrate disputed issues.

Aristotle reports (Metaphysics 1078b12–15) that Plato was led to his theory of forms by being persuaded that knowledge requires permanent objects and that sensible things are always in flux. To meet this requirement, Plato posited eternal and incomposite forms as proper objects of thought. Forms thus are both immutable and entirely what they are, without parts to admit opposing features. A plausible example is the form justice (q.v.), which (setting aside for now the problem of self-predication) is wholly just and in no respect otherwise.

Another consequence is that forms can be presented immediately to thought or intellect, whereas particular things are presented only in sense perception (q.v.). Thus forms can be known as they are, in and by themselves, independently of their relation to sense particulars.

Forms and sense particulars are related by participation (q.v.), whereby particulars take on determinate properties. Thus, sense particulars (otherwise in constant flux) become beautiful (just, large, etc.) by participating in the corresponding form (beauty, etc.). Whereas forms are what they are independently of other things (are absolute), features of particulars are caused by participation.

As a result of this causal dependency, sensible things also share names with forms in which they participate. In effect, forms serve as paradigms for naming sense particulars that participate in them. Thus we find Socrates in the Euthphro saying he must know what the form holiness is in order to tell whether a particular act should be called holy (cf. Allen 1971).

These several tenets comprise what is often described as a ‘two world ontology’. On one hand are forms which are absolute, wholly real (nowise other than they are) and knowable by thought. On the other are sense particulars which are dependent on forms for their properties, are subject to opposing properties and can be apprehended by sensation but not by intellect. Due to these differences, forms are said to be ontologically separate from the world of sense experience.

These are the main tenets of the account associated with Plato’s so-called middle dialogues, notably in the Phaedo, Republic and Symposium. As it stands, this theory raises various problems which have been subject to extensive debate. One is the issue of what participation amounts to. This shows up in the question of what things have corresponding forms.

The theory maintains that things are called by the same name (or described by the same predicate) by virtue of participating in the same forms. Conversely, a single form is involved whenever we assign the same name to (R. 596a) or predicate the same property of (Parmenides 132a) many things. But we apply the same name in the case of dirt and other such paltry things.

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