platos metaphysics doctrine of separationism (or two realms) changing world of particular things...
TRANSCRIPT
Plato’s Metaphysics
Doctrine of Separationism (or Two Realms)
• Changing world of particular things characterized by identity and
difference•World of unchanging, immaterial,
and eternal Forms.
Realm of the Forms - Intelligibles
Different Substances
SameAttributes
Realm of the Physical World - Sensibles
Identity in Difference
TALL
FRUIT FRUIT
TALLNESS
TALL
Bill LindaRover Dax Apple Banana
How do we explain real identity in real difference?
WHITE & BROWN
WHITE & BROWN
NYLON
NYLON
NYLONNESS
WHITENESS/BROWNNESS
FRUITNESS
Realm of the Forms
Beautiful Beautiful
Angelina Jolie Helen of TroyDifferent Persons
SameAttribute
Identity in Difference
Realm of the Physical World
BEAUTY
The FormsHypothetical entities designed to explain how numerically or
quantitatively distinct things can be qualitatively identical.
The Basic Argument
1. If identity in difference exists, then the Forms exist.
2. Identity in difference exists.
So, 3. the Forms exist.
Beauty (f1) in Angelina and beauty (f2) in Helen are the same, but Angelina (A) and Helen (H) are not the same.
Two numerically distinct things can only have identical properties if there are higher entities
that make this possible.
A is f1 H is f2
F
• F must be distinct from f1 and f2, otherwise F could not be the same thing in f1 and f2.
• F must be identical with f1 and f2, otherwise there is no basis for saying that A and H have the same attribute.
The Forms are universal entities so other things can participate in their
existence.
The Forms are also concrete, for they are substances or things,
though distinct from physical things.
Individual physical things participate in the forms by having
the natures of the forms.