Plato, and his Five Major Concerns for Humanity

Plato (426-348 B.C) believed in five major concerns. The study of Plato is mainly focused in these five concerns. The first concern is the “Basis of Morality.” It says that there is a good that exists in a different dimension. Everyone is born with a seed of good, one can either come close to it or can drift away from it. This good exists in the World of Forms. Finally, every species has its own good. Plato then talks about the “Basis of math/geometry” which explains that there is a right triangle, for example, in the World of Forms. His main point about mathematics is that one cannot invent math but rather can discover the math in the World of Forms. Next he brings up the argument about the “Basis of Beauty.” There must be a standard for beauty. Furthermore, beauty exists in the World of Forms. On the contrary, human beauty is all relative. Finally goodness/beauty comes together. Another concern of Plato was the “Knowing everyday objects.” These concerns said that knowledge does not come from the senses and understanding objects comes from the mind (geometry). Finally his last concern is, “Why is nature the way it is?” Because animals like cats and dogs model the cat and dog that exists in the 3rd dimension.

Plato used the World of Forms in nearly all his concerns and the platonic forms can be defined in Soccio as, “independently existing, nonspatial, nontemporal “somethings” that cannot be known through the senses. Known in thought, these Forms are not ideas in the usual sense. Knowledge is always about Forms.” (pg. 141) Plato then classifies the Forms as the following: beyond space, beyond time, objective (not subjective), grasp by the mind, and not senses and the idea of “perfect.”
Aristotle (384-322 B.C) believed in the four causes. Soccio explains the four causes as the following, “Aristotles “four causes” are thus offered as accounts of (1) the material thing is made of (Material Cause); (2) the form the thing take (Formal Cause); (3) the “triggering” action or motion that begins the thing (Efficient Cause; and (4) the ultimate purpose or goal for which the things exists (Final Cause).” (pg 176)
The material cause of a thing refers to the substance from which the thing comes and in which change occurs. It is the cause that makes a difference about what the result is. The formal cause is the shape, or form into what the matter is changed, must know what something is (essence). Efficient cause is the act of doing it (The action). It is also named as the thing’s triggering cause, or in today’s terms known as “cause.” And finally, the final cause is the goal of what you are doing, it is the final product and is the reason for what you doing. Soccio puts it as, “Aristotle called the ultimate why of a thing that thing’s telos, or “final” goal, the purpose of its very existence. Thus, the very last answer in a series of “why” questions identifies the “final cause” needed to complete our understanding of the thing.” (pg 178)