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Single Idea 6562

[from 'The Republic' by Plato, in 7. Existence / D. Theories of Reality / 3. Reality ]

Full Idea

For Plato, the intelligible world - the world of eternal and unchanging forms - is Parmenidean; the world of appearances - the world of flux we inhabit - is Heraclitean.

Clarification

Parmenides and Heraclitus were two earlier philosophers

Gist of Idea

Plato's reality has unchanging Parmenidean forms, and Heraclitean flux

Source

report of Plato (The Republic [c.374 BCE]) by Robert Fogelin - Walking the Tightrope of Reason Ch.1

Book Reference

Fogelin,Robert: 'Walking the Tightrope of Reason' [OUP 2004], p.25


A Reaction

Parmenides said reality is 'One'; Heraclitus said reality is 'flux'. This is a nice summary of Plato's view, and encapsulates two key influences on Plato, though the mathematical reality of Pythagoras should also be mentioned on the 'forms' side.