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Ideas for 'Through the Looking Glass', 'talk' and 'From Stimulus to Science'

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8. Modes of Existence / D. Universals / 6. Platonic Forms / b. Partaking

6900	A prior understanding of beauty is needed to assert that the Form of the Beautiful is beautiful [Westaway]
	Full Idea: If it were asserted that the Form of the Beautiful was itself beautiful, such a statement would require a prior understanding of the concept of beauty, so would immediately lead to an infinite regress, so the Forms can't be self-predicating.
	From: Luke Westaway (talk [2005]), quoted by PG - Db (ideas)
	A reaction: This is a nice clear statement of the mess that Plato gets himself into if he wants the Forms to be self-predicating. Clearly the Form of the Beautiful can't be beautiful, but must be that which gives other things their beauty.