Lecture 2 Lecture 2

Plato’s Plato’s IdealismIdealism

Thomas Wren Thomas Wren Philosophy 389 - Moral Psychology Philosophy 389 - Moral Psychology

Spring 2007 - Loyola University Spring 2007 - Loyola University ChicagoChicago

AgendaAgenda Plato’s Historical ContextPlato’s Historical Context His Big QuestionHis Big Question1. His Conception of Human Development1. His Conception of Human Development2. His Model of the Mind2. His Model of the Mind3. His Method of Inquiry3. His Method of Inquiry4. His Conception of the Individual & Society4. His Conception of the Individual & Society His Relevance to Contemporary Psychology His Relevance to Contemporary Psychology

Historical ContextHistorical Context The “Golden Age” of Greece (500-300 BCE)The “Golden Age” of Greece (500-300 BCE) Socrates > Plato >Aristotle > Alexander (!)Socrates > Plato >Aristotle > Alexander (!) Plato (428-347 BCE)Plato (428-347 BCE)

• Born in Athens, wealthy aristocratic family, Born in Athens, wealthy aristocratic family, served in army, traveled to Sicily and served in army, traveled to Sicily and elsewhere, died at 81 yrs.elsewhere, died at 81 yrs.

• Studied under Socrates, founded the AcademyStudied under Socrates, founded the Academy• Wrote 24 “Dialogues”Wrote 24 “Dialogues”

Early dialogues: Socrates’ ideasEarly dialogues: Socrates’ ideas Middle dialogues (incl.Middle dialogues (incl.The RepublicThe Republic): Socrates & ): Socrates &

Plato’s ideasPlato’s ideas Late dialogues: Plato’s ideasLate dialogues: Plato’s ideas

Plato’s Big QuestionPlato’s Big Question

““How can different things be the How can different things be the same?”*same?”*

*Related Questions:*Related Questions: The One and the ManyThe One and the Many The Visible and the InvisibleThe Visible and the Invisible The Real and the UnrealThe Real and the Unreal

ExampleExample

The opening (or is it The opening (or is it openingsopenings?) of ?) of Beethoven’s Fifth SymphonyBeethoven’s Fifth Symphony

The orchestraThe orchestraKeyboard noisesKeyboard noisesThe scoreThe score

Our Four Psychological ThemesOur Four Psychological Themes

Aris-totle

…………Locke, etc.

Three parts of soul and three classes of society

Conceptual analysis and reminiscence

Four levels of knowledge and four levels of reality

Knowing the Good(escaping from the cave)

Plato

Self & SocietyMethod of InquiryModel of the Mind

Human Development

1. Plato’s Conception of Human 1. Plato’s Conception of Human DevelopmentDevelopment

Self DevelopmentSelf Development• No distinct concept of SelfhoodNo distinct concept of Selfhood• Delphic oracle produced humility in SocratesDelphic oracle produced humility in Socrates

Intellectual DIntellectual D evelopmentevelopment• Increasingly real knowledge & increasingly real objects of Increasingly real knowledge & increasingly real objects of

knowledgeknowledge• ““Real” = “Ideal” (because reality is permanent, a la Parmenides)Real” = “Ideal” (because reality is permanent, a la Parmenides)

Moral DevelopmentMoral Development• Virtue is produced by knowledge of the GoodVirtue is produced by knowledge of the Good• Knowledge of the Good is produced by virtuous livingKnowledge of the Good is produced by virtuous living• ““To know the Good is to choose it.”To know the Good is to choose it.”

AnamnesisAnamnesis Pre-existence of soulPre-existence of soul

• A metaphysical claim?A metaphysical claim?• A figure of speech?A figure of speech?

Innate ideasInnate ideas

Death as fulfillment Death as fulfillment • Christian analoguesChristian analogues

2. Plato’s Model of the Mind2. Plato’s Model of the Mind Isomorphic correspondence of mental and Isomorphic correspondence of mental and

ontological structures:ontological structures:• Four levels of knowledge for four levels of realityFour levels of knowledge for four levels of reality• Each level of knowledge has its own structureEach level of knowledge has its own structure

Progress from lowest to highest level is “stage Progress from lowest to highest level is “stage structural” (Analogy of the Divided Line)structural” (Analogy of the Divided Line)

Relationships between levels are defined in terms of Relationships between levels are defined in terms of resemblance, not causality, but…resemblance, not causality, but…

Consider implications of the Allegory of the CaveConsider implications of the Allegory of the Cave

Analogy of the Divided LineAnalogy of the Divided Line(B) The Intelligible The ( C )(B) The Intelligible The ( C ) World World FormsForms Good Good ConceptsConcepts (A) The Visible (A) The Visible World World PhysicalPhysical__ObjectsObjects The (D) The (D) SunSun ImagesImages

Plato’s Allegory of the CavePlato’s Allegory of the Cave

http://www.mlahanas.de/Greeks/images/PlatoCave.jpg

3. Plato’s Method of Inquiry3. Plato’s Method of Inquiry

Plato points up to the heavenly Forms, which are known to us from birth even though we need “gadflies” such as Socrates to help us remember what we know.His method of inquiry is to ask questions that stimulate the memory.

Aristotle holds his hand flat, to show that the objects of human knowledge are things in this world, which can only be known through sense experience.

His method of inquiry is to abstract ideas from empirical observations.

Socratic QuestioningSocratic Questioning The Meno: Slave boy discovers his The Meno: Slave boy discovers his

innate idea of Circleinnate idea of Circle

Socrates’ minimalist conception of Socrates’ minimalist conception of teacher as gadfly, midwife, teacher as gadfly, midwife, questioner questioner

Irony: Socrates’ trial and deathIrony: Socrates’ trial and death

4. Plato’s Conception of Self and 4. Plato’s Conception of Self and SocietySociety

Justice is best seen “writ large” in Justice is best seen “writ large” in societysociety

Socratic Conclusion: Social Justice is Socratic Conclusion: Social Justice is harmony among the three parts of harmony among the three parts of society, and Personal Justice is society, and Personal Justice is harmony among the three parts of harmony among the three parts of the soulthe soul

The Three The Three Parts of the Soul/Society Parts of the Soul/Society and Their Virtuesand Their Virtues

The three parts of SoulThe three parts of Soul• Reason (Wisdom)Reason (Wisdom)• Spirit (Courage)Spirit (Courage)• Appetite (Temperance)Appetite (Temperance)

The three parts of Society The three parts of Society • Rulers (Wisdom)Rulers (Wisdom)• Guardians (Courage)Guardians (Courage)• Workers (Temperance)Workers (Temperance)

PLATO’S RELEVANCE TO PLATO’S RELEVANCE TO CONTCONTEMPORARY PSYCHOLOGYEMPORARY PSYCHOLOGY

Plato’s Mind-Body dualism still poses a Plato’s Mind-Body dualism still poses a challenge, especially for cognitive challenge, especially for cognitive psychologists who appeal to neurology.psychologists who appeal to neurology.

His notion of innate ideas, as illustrated in His notion of innate ideas, as illustrated in the the MenoMeno by the slave boy who “recalled” by the slave boy who “recalled” the definition of a circle, corresponds to the definition of a circle, corresponds to what psycholinguists call “the poverty of what psycholinguists call “the poverty of the stimulus.” We will try to discuss this the stimulus.” We will try to discuss this more extensively in a later lecture.more extensively in a later lecture.