The Metaphysics Concept: Plato’s Forms in Phaedo and Parmenides Dialogues
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This article aims to study Plato’s theory of forms as appearing in the dialogues Phaedo and Parmenides, and to compare and analyze the relationship of the concept of Forms in these two dialogues. This research is philosophical research employing a documentary research methodology. The dialogues Phaedo and Parmenides are used as the primary documents, and the data are analyzed through philosophical interpretation and conceptual comparison. The research findings reveal that the dialogue Phaedo presents the concept of Forms through three important arguments: the argument from recollection, the argument from affinity, and the final argument concerning the immortality of the soul. In this dialogue, the Forms have the status of true, stable realities and serve as principles that support knowledge, the soul, and particular things. Meanwhile, the dialogue Parmenides shows the questioning and criticism of the theory of Forms through several important arguments, such as the scope of Forms, the Pie Model, the Third Man Argument, Forms as thoughts, the theory of likeness, and the argument concerning the possibility of knowing the Forms. These arguments reflect problems concerning the relationship between Forms and particular things. When the two dialogues are compared, it is found that Phaedo has the character of presenting and affirming the concept of Forms, whereas Parmenides has the character of reconsidering, examining, and criticizing the limitations of the theory of Forms. The body of knowledge obtained from this research is that Plato’s concept of Forms is a concept that develops within Plato’s own writings. The dialogue Phaedo shows the necessity of Forms as metaphysical principles, while the dialogue Parmenides shows the problems, conditions, and limitations of that theory. This study therefore helps to clarify the relationship between universals and particulars, true reality and the world of experience, and Plato’s metaphysical development.
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References
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