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Single Idea 1606

[filed under theme 1. Philosophy / D. Nature of Philosophy / 1. Philosophy ]

Full Idea

Everyone who enters into a debate about reality automatically becomes a Platonist. Since such debates are the essence of philosophy, every philosopher is a Platonist.

Clarification

Platonists believe that ideas exist independently of thinkers

Gist of Idea

You have to be a Platonist to debate about reality, so every philosopher is a Platonist

Source

David Roochnik (The Tragedy of Reason [1990], p.199)

Book Ref

Roochnik,David: 'The Tragedy of Reason: the Platonic logos' [Routledge 1990], p.199

A Reaction

This is correct

The 16 ideas from David Roochnik

1571 'Logos' ranges from thought/reasoning, to words, to rational structures outside thought [Roochnik]
1572 In the seventeenth century the only acceptable form of logos was technical knowledge [Roochnik]
1573 The hallmark of a person with logos is that they give reasons why one opinion is superior to another [Roochnik]
1591 Unfortunately for reason, argument can't be used to establish the value of argument [Roochnik]
1592 Logos cannot refute the relativist, and so must admit that it too is a matter of desire (for truth and agreement) [Roochnik]
1593 Human desire has an ordered structure, with logos at the pinnacle [Roochnik]
1595 Philosophy aims to satisfy the chief human desire - the articulation of beauty itself [Roochnik]
1596 Reasoning aims not at the understanding of objects, but at the desire to give beautiful speeches [Roochnik]
1598 We prefer reason or poetry according to whether basics are intelligible or not [Roochnik]
1599 Attempts to suspend all presuppositions are hopeless, because a common ground must be agreed for the process [Roochnik]
1603 Logos is not unconditionally good, but good if there is another person willing to engage with it [Roochnik]
1605 Reality can be viewed neutrally, or as an object of desire [Roochnik]
1606 You have to be a Platonist to debate about reality, so every philosopher is a Platonist [Roochnik]
1577 Relativism is a disease which destroys the possibility of rational debate [Roochnik]
1578 If relativism is the correct account of human values, then rhetoric is more important than reasoning [Roochnik]
1584 Modern science, by aiming for clarity about the external world, has abandoned rationality in the human world [Roochnik]