Plato s Theory Of Knowledge - 1413 Words

Plato’s theory of knowledge claims that knowledge is only achieved in what is eternal and unchanging. True knowledge is distinguished from all else by its unique nature of being perceived by intellection and without hypothesis. Throughout the Republic, Plato attempts to explain through several images of speech and conceptual examples the essence of what is and what is not true knowledge. Plato’s model of education is reflective of his belief that the purpose of education is to point towards knowledge of the form of the good and the formation of a good soul. How is knowledge achieved? Music and gymnastics in the process of working towards positive formation of the soul Why it is important: -Plato’s theory of forms-things that are in†¦show more content†¦Knowledge is not perception or appearance, as both are subjective matters of opinion. Formal knowledge does not include things that are physical, because these physical objects can change or be altered whereas purely formal knowledge is unchanging. Opinions are not as certain and concrete as knowledge, and have not been proven to be definitely true; therefore they are not considered to be a form of true knowledge. Also on the opinion side of the divided line is imaging, or imitation, including representations and likenesses that resemble something else. One problem that Plato raises with imaging is that there is [[QUOTE]]], and that images should instead be used to convey larger ideals that point towards the desirable and good. Between the regions of opinion and knowledge there exists a thick line of separation. On the side of the line opposite opinion is true knowledge, a knowledge that is not complete with awareness of individual objects but extends beyond the visible realm to explore the relationships between objects, the intelligible realm. Though not all people need to cross over this dividing line, it is important that some people do, especially some members of the guardian class that will be among the candidates for future positions of leadership. The pursuit of knowledge is of greatest importance for