Plato (student of Scocretes, 427-348 B.C)

Plato (student of Scocretes, 427-348 B.C) said that the universe has two basic dimensions of existence. He said that there is a World of Forms and a normal world. The normal world would be the one that we are living on.

Plato says that there must be a standard for beauty. For beauty to fully exist there has to be something to compare it to. When we look at beauty here on Earth we know that there is a beauty in the World of Forms. The beauty in the World of Forms can be stated as the absolute beauty or the top degree of beauty. Plato says that all human beauty does not exist because it is relative to each human and the only reason we think someone is beautiful is because of what we see in other humans. He also says that goodness and beauty come together.

Plato says that math is discovered. He says that it is discovered in the World of forms. In the World of forms holds every math formula known to man, and even some that have yet to be “discovered” in the World. He also says, for example, that there is a perfect right triangle in the World of Forms that all the right triangles on Earth are compared to. Plato’s main idea is that one cannot invent math, but rather they can discover math in the World of Forms.

Plato held a strong belief against democracy, even though nearly all thought it to be the ideal form of government. For Plato, the ideal form of government would be controlled by philosopher-kings. Soccio raises this point, “In Book VIII of the Republic, Plato discusses different kinds of governments and the types of souls each produces. He argues that democracy grows out of a type of government called oligarchy, the rule of a wealthy few. Because the chief aim of the oligarchs is to get rich, they create a constitution and type of government that encourage the acquisition of property.” (pg. 158) Plato also says that the as the rich get richer the poor get poorer and as the rich get richer the poor get angrier and will eventually overthrow the government because of this. Plato would be completely against anyone who say the democracy is the best form of government.