i am taking a philosophy class and everything the teacher says about the "theory of ideas" goes right over my head. Can anyone explain it to me in the easiest way possible? Just try your best and if you have any good sources to help that would be great, too.
2006-09-05 13:11:30 · 5 answers · asked by radical 1 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Philosophy
It's a tough theory to understand. Basically, he proposed that ANYTHING that we see and experience in life is only a reflection or portion of a greater "idea" of that thing.
Your computer monitor for example, is not actually square in iteself, is simply shares in the "idea" of squareness... a quality shared by any other object exhibiting this trait.
He applied this to anything that could be experienced... objects, feelings, numbers, etc... it is a very hard thing to understand and you are better off asking your instructor if you don't understand it fully.
2006-09-05 13:16:16 · answer #1 · answered by ? 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Think of it this way. The Forms are actual abstract objects that are imperfectly mirrored in our sensible world. So, no actual chair exists in the realm of Ideas. But the property or characteristic of being a chair does. In one sense, the Forms appear to be Ideas (i.e. objects of thought). But Plato also seems to talk like they are Ideals. That is, the Forms are paradigms or archetypal instances of inferior sensible objects.
2006-09-05 15:29:34 · answer #2 · answered by sokrates 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The way I understand it, is that Plato believed that there were archetypes of objects in some plane of ideas. For example, all chairs have certain characteristics that they have in common, and we can instantly recognize them as chairs. There is a perfect chair in the plane of ideas, and we recognize real chairs as chairs because they all possess chairness. The plane of ideas contains all of the perfect ideas which everything in the real world is derived from.
It's an interesting idea, but I personally have major problems with it.
2006-09-05 13:56:22 · answer #3 · answered by Michael M 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Plato is considered the originator of idealism.
"According to Plato, Ideas, i.e. generalia, represent the only truth. What is true, actually exists. What is true isn’t subject to decay. Generalia actually exist. Generalia are reality, actuality. Reality and actuality doesn’t decay. Reality exists because there are generalia; generalia constitute reality. "
Find the rest of this in my sources. He breaks this down very well.
2006-09-05 13:19:20 · answer #4 · answered by starswilldance 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the word IDEAS-means the consept of ones mental activity,
the word THEORY-is a belife that can guide behavior,
so to put these things togeother is only this.
if we think we can make things happen and make it a will to succead and then know how to beleve in it.then it is to be,and thats the hole consept about theory of ideas.
to know that it is.
2006-09-06 02:56:34 · answer #5 · answered by DENISE 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋