Starter

From what you

learnt last lesson,

summarise the

Allegory of the Cave

in 5 bullet points

Lesson Objectives

By the end of this lesson you will: Have refreshed your knowledge of the

Allegory of the Cave Understand Plato’s Theory of Forms Looked at platos idea of the soul and a

just society.

Plato’s Theory of Forms

The idea of the Forms is illustrated in the Allegory of the Cave.

Plato believed true reality existed beyond normal perceptions of the world.

What we perceive around us is a shadow of this truth.

Plato’s Theory of Forms According to Plato the world we live in is a poor imitation

of the real world. Our world is constantly changing and we rely on our

senses to understand what is going on. You are not the same person you were 3

years/hours/seconds ago, cells are forever changing and ideas flit through our minds.

Plato was therefore sure that the real world is outside the one we live in.

This real world is unchanging and eternal. It is the world of ideas not senses, where there are perfect forms of the things we know on earth.

Task:

The Material World The World of the Forms

Transitory- moves in time and space Outside of time and space

Relative Real and absolute

Changing Unchanging

Impermanent Permanent

Superficial What matters most

Contradictory- are subject to opinion NO-contradiction- they are NOT subject to opinion

Sensory Beyond the senses

Can be measured Immeasurable

Imperfect Perfect

Activity

Draw a dog or write down the essential qualities that define a dog

It is impossible to get a clear definition and rule out other animals at the same time.

A 3 year old would have no problem distinguishing a dog from another animal.

The child is identifying the form whilst we are getting bogged down with the details.

The Form is not a shape, it is the essence of an object.

A dog and all dogs have a degree of ‘dogginess’ due to participating in the form.

Recognising Forms

We can recognise Forms because we are born with a dim recollection of them from our prior existence in the world of the Forms.

There is an inner part of us (the soul) that does not change. It is eternal and, before it became tied down by a body, it was connected with the real world of Forms.

Why/ how is Plato a dualist?

Plato’s RepublicIn each situation, explain what

you would do, and why:

1. Your teacher tells you to stay in breaktime to discuss your overdue homework, but you’re really hungry. Do you:A.Listen, and think about how to do

your homework better next timeB.Run off to the canteen so you don’t

miss the good foodC.Argue back at the teacher

2. You have been on a diet. You are starving with hunger, and walking home. You will probably collapse if you don’t eat something. You find a chocolate bar in your bag that is one day past its Use-by date.A. Think carefully

about whether the chocolate will kill you

B. Eat the chocolateC. Stick to your diet,

and throw the chocolate away

3. You are on a Duke of Edinburgh camping trip. You are tired, hungry, and want to go home. Do you:

A. Think – it’s much more sensible to go home to my nice warm bed, and spend more time on my maths homework

B. Use my mobile (forbidden!) to order in pizza.

C. Stick to the original rules and purpose of the expedition

Are you:

Mostly A – you use the thinking part of your soul too much

Mostly B – you follow your appetites too much Mostly C – you use your will-power too much

A mixture – congratulations! You have a well-balanced soul!

The Soul Plato thought the soul had three parts:

1. Thinking 2. Appetite3. Will power

A good person is a person who keeps the right balance between those three parts of the soul

A. Listen, and think about how to do your homework better next time

B. Run off to the canteen so you don’t miss the good food

C. Argue back at the teacher

The Soul

Draw onto your diagram the three parts of the soul, according to Plato. Draw a picture to represent each one.

The ideal society

Plato said that the ideal society was like a person, and had similar three parts: The rulers (who think) The producers (who satisfy people’s appetites) The warriors (who have the will-power to defend the

city) A just society is one where the different parts of

society are well balanced, and don’t interfere with each other.

Add these headings to your different parts of the soul

Your turn

Two teams: Athens & Sparta I shall split each team into 3 groups Each group has to take on the role of one

part of the just society

Kings You must come up with a set of laws on

how your kingdom should be run: ___________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

What sort of education should people get?__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Warriors You should draw up a strategy on how to

defend the kingdom if it is attacked_______________________________________________________________________________________________

What sort of weapons should you get?______________________________

How will you train?___________________________________

__________________________________

Producers You must decide what food and goods you will

produce ____________________________________ _____________________________________ ______________________________________ ______________________________________ ______________________________________ ______________________________________ ______________________________________ ______________________________________

Reflection

Which team would Plato say had the most just society?

Why?

However… The world of the Forms is the philosopher’s

world, therefore they should be the rulers!! The ordinary person struggles to see past the

illusion of this world because they are ruled by their senses.

Only the person who investigates and questions learns the truth behind the illusion.

Only the philosopher is capable of seeing into the world of the Forms because he can make judgements as he thinks independently of his senses.

Summing up...The Material World

(our world)

Here the material objects exist, subject to

change and decay. They take their identity from the way that they

conform to their corresponding idea in

the world of the Forms.

The material

world is a shadow of the ‘real’ world of

the Forms.

The World of the Forms

Here the patterns for the objects and concepts for the

material world exist in a state of unchanging

perfection.

It is the job of the philosopher to break free from the

shackles of the material world and find the world of the

Forms.

Summing up continued… A Form is what a thing is Forms for Plato are unchanging and

eternal Objects in this world imitate a Form which

exists in the real world e.g. A beautiful person is an image of beauty

We are born with a recollection of what Forms are

Forms are only accessible to philosophers

Homework

Research Kant’s ‘noumenal and phenomenal world’ and explain how this idea is similar to the world of the forms/ the form of the good.

If you are not sure, just have a go and try!

Due next lesson.