Criticisms of Plato’s Forms

1. Criticisms of Plato’s Forms Problems concerning the relationship between the Forms and things in the world. • It is unclear whether all things in the world have Forms. If they do, the Form of the atom will be as complex as an atom. Forms are not meant to be complex but perfect. • It is unclear if collections of things have Forms. An atom is a collection of sub-atomic particles. The solar system is a collection of planets and a sun. It is unclear whether the Form of Planet Earth is included inside the Form of the solar system. Are there two types of Forms for all planets? Forms of planets with life and Forms of planets without life? • If everything has a Form might we not suppose the existence the Form of bad (evil) as well as good?

2. Criticisms of Plato’s Forms Problems concerning how human acts of goodness relate to the Form of the Good. 4. Good and just actions in the world are often disputed. It is not clear that we would all agree on the what constitutes the Form of the Good in the same way that we would agree that the sun is the source of light

3. Criticisms of Plato’s Forms Problems concerning the reality of the Forms 5. There is no proof that the Forms actually exist. 6. There is no reason why objective standards need to exist. They could be imagined and still work as standards to live by. 7. The concept of ‘recollection’ assumes the validity of Plato’s dualism of body and soul 8. Plato’s use of the Forms under-values our ability to know the true world through our sense.

4. Criticisms of Plato’s Forms Problems concerning the role of the Forms. 9. It does not follow from us knowing the Form of the Good that we will actually do the good. 10. The Form of the good does not actually tell us what a good action is. 11. Could we even know the Forms at all. To know them brings them into the imperfect world of sense.

5. Criticisms of Plato’s Forms Aristotle’s criticism. 12. The Forms, as understood by Aristotle, relate to things not to abstract ideas like justice or goodness and belong to those things. Our senses are important in telling us about things in the world and their organising structure or essence. For Aristotle, the Form of a thing is its underlying structure or essence which is not separate from the material which makes it what it is. Plato’s Forms are simply abstractions of predicates and not real essences so cannot exist. Goodness is a predicate so there can be no Form of the Good. Points 1-3 on the sheet

6. Criticisms of Plato’s Forms Aristotle’s criticism. 13. The third man argument points to a logical error in Plato’s thought. We have a man and the Form of the man. So there must be a separate Form which includes both the man and the Form of the man. So now we have three: The man The Form of the man The Form of (the man) and (the Form of the man) We have three and there must be a Form that includes all three. But that would give us four. So there must be a Form that includes all four. But that would give us five… and so on… Point 4 on the sheet and criticism 2 above.