Explain Plato's theory of Forms and his distinction between the degrees of knowledge and belief.?

Question

How does this contrast with Aristotle's theory of substance, his view of change and cause, and what we know about the nature of reality.

Answer 1

Pick up the cliff notes for Plato's Republic. Look up the Wax and Cave Allegories. If that doesn't help look up "Fifty Major Philosophers" by Diane Collinson. As for Aristotle, I refer you back to the same last reference book. Basically, take wisdom and expose to a form or knowledge and you develop an image or belief like sunlight hittting rock and creating a monsterouse shadow. The distance between the wisdom and knowledge is the truth. The distance between knowledge and belief is perception. As for forms, they are what they are, and though they may change like wax from solid to liquid to gas, they are none the less, the same form. But is it the same substance? Aristotle would say yes on the substance and no on the form. Think geometry and chemistry. The different stages of wax burning are chemical reactions. There is more there than wax. Don't confuse the form with the substance. Form is like a circle. Substance is like the air in a balloon. Change from solid to liquid to gas can be can be explained by by heat and cemical reaction, in other words cause. I believe he derived this from the earliest Greek philosophers who sought to understand change and theorize what the central substance of existance, the atom. As for the nature of reality, think about the scientific method. You are never certain of anything even when all fingers point to it being te ultimate truth, form, or reality. Although not stated, Aristotle may have been the first person to understand the concept of limits and infinity. A good reason to believe this was is thoughts on contradiction. Something is or it is something else. Plato would have said something is or it is not. I don't know if this helped but it seems like something you could argue as you please.

Answer 2

I Believe I Understand Somewhat It Is A Language Battle Amongst Others My Preference To The Extent I Can Engage In These Discussions Is To Assume That The Correct Label If Any Can Only Be Fairly Applied By The Labelee This Forum Suffers From A Surfeit Of Labellers

Answer 3

Plato believed there are perfect forms in Heaven from which all innate knowledge of things are drawn...Aristotle believed that the essence of the parts that make something up are how we know something. I'm not familiar with the degrees of knowledge and belief???

Answer 4

Objects of the senses are variable, mutable and imperfect. Their essences invariable, stable and perfect. They are called Forms. Cognition of forms is knowledge in the true sense of the term and hence cognition of sensible objects is belief.

Answer 5

do your own home work!