On Plato’s Theory of Forms.docVIP

On Plato’s Theory of Forms 　　[a]Inner Mongolia University for the Nationalities, Tongliao, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China. 　　*Corresponding author. 　　Received 5 February 2013; accepted 20 June 2013 　　Abstract 　　Plato was not only the founder of modern philosophy, but also the first to systematically philosophize about the arts. He has a deep influence on western culture including a strong influence on the arts, and on theories of art. However, in the case of the arts and aesthetic theory that influence is mostly indirect, and is best understood if one knows more about his philosophy. The Theory of Forms is the core of Plato’s philosophy. It expounded in specific way discussing cognitive structure by formulating reverse solution to prove dialectical process from perception, which reveals positive effect in the cognitive development of western society. 　　Key words: Plato; Theory of Forms; Knowledge 　　LIU Piyong (2013). On Plato’s Theory of Forms. Canadian Social Science, 9(4), -0. Available from: /index.php/css/article/view/j.css.1923669720130904.2645 　　DOI: /10.3968/j.css.1923669720130904.2645. 　　1. PLATO’S BIBLIOGRAPHY 　　Plato, an ancient Greek?philosopher, helped to build the philosophical basis of Western culture along with Socrates and Aristotle. He was also a mathematician, writer of philosophical dialogues, and founder of the Academy in Athens, the first institution of higher learning in the western world. 　　Plato published perhaps twenty-five philosophical dialogues which are usually divided into early, middle, and late period. His middle dialogues present doctrines known as Platonism. The key concept is the forms. 　　2. THEORY OF FORMS 　　2.1 General Introduction of Forms 　　The basis of Plato’s thought is the theory of ideas or forms. Just like other Greek philosophers, Plato was absorbed by the question of change in the physical world. Heraclitus had said that there is nothing certain or stable except the fact that things change, and