Reflection 13

Plato focused on idealism. Idealism is the theory based on the absolute forms or truths and not on materialisms. His theory of idealism is one of the oldest systemstic philosophies in the western culture. Plato was a student of Socrates. After being inspired by Socrates who was known for challenging materialists convention he developed a theory of his own. He greatly influenced the future of public education. Socrates had a method that challenged the views of life of the Greek citizens dialect which was done orally there was nothing written down. After Socrates was executed, Palto interpreted and added on to some of Socrates dialogues. Nowadays, scholars usually prefer to refer the ideas of both of the philosophers as the Platonic philosophy. Platonic idealism consists of the of the ideas of the Greek philospher Plato. Plato be;ieved in the Socratic or elenchus method. Plato opened a school after Socrates died. The school was based on the search for truth in all things. The first principle and basis for platonic idealism is the idea of absolute truth. According to Plato, people should for look for the truth because the truth is perfect and eternal. Plato professed that the truth is in all things. Because there are universal truths in math, Plato saw that there must be the same in other fields like politics, education, and even religion. He was against materialism so he wrote his second principle in which was in the republic. The concept of good was the source of all true knowledge. The world of idea and the world of matter are seperated. In order to progress toward good, he taught that people should encourage ideas and reject matter. The world of matter was constantly changing so that made it untrustworthy. He then had a third principle. The third principle was that he believed knowledge wa not created but discovered. He believed that people were born with true knowledge but it was lost during the birth process. As you grow that knowledge comes back to you. It may take a person a lifetime who remember these forgotten truths. His education wanted for students to embrace the concept good and the world of truths that already exists. He saw a society where everyone were given an equal opportunity. Boys and girls could push themselves to the fullest but he encouraged those who had a problem with abstract thinking should pursue more practical jobs. The practical jobns were in three classes which were workers, militia and rulers. The others who showed great skill in dialectic would become philosophers who would lead others to attain the good. Forgotten truths are what matter and what we know. Whenever we call many things by one name, it is only because we think one name confers a specific trait in those things. This pivots the ideas of forms or ideas.