Analyzing Plato's Forms

Kylie Durio

Professor Allbritton

PHIL 1301

February 16, 2018

Exam 1 Essay

Plato, one of the most revered philosophers in history, gave us many philosophical works. From the Theory of the Forms to his Myth of the Charioteer, Plato liked to use a combination of truth and myth to get his teachings across. Although he was big on myths, Plato valued knowledge, and “knowledge involves truth” (Melchert, 96). This was a principle that helped when it came to believing you know something, or actually knowing the truth. Believing you that know something, or opinion, is ever changing, can be true or false, not backed up by reasons, and was the result of persuasion (Melchert, 97). Truth was knowledge to Plato; he believed that knowledge stays put, is always true, is backed up with reasoning, and is the product of instruction- this was known as Epistemology. Epistemology, or the theory of knowledge, is what eventually gave way to his theory of Forms (Melchert, 100).

Although they may sound like an actual object, Plato’s Forms are in another realm. His theory states true knowledge comes from these physical and non-physical forms of reality. The first form is the Form of the Good, Plato which is seen as Plato’s “starting point” for his forms (Melchert, 107). Because Plato said our definition of knowledge is askew, we

The Charioteer can be described as our moral conscience, it brings balance between the Black steed and the White horse. The Black steed represents passions that overcome us, while the White horse represents our spirits or our motivations for different things. Together, all three form a perfect balance between passion, morality, and our spirit with the Charioteer at the reigns (Melchert, 117-118). This was one of the examples of Plato twisting truth and myth to teach philosophy, another one of his better-known myths was the Myth of the