Page 9 - GALIET PLATO´S PHAEDO: Reason and Idea Plato IV

themselves, cannot be apprehended by the senses, but are only ‘visible’ intelligibly: seen and grasped only by reason and the soul.6
In principle, it seems that there can be Ideas about anything. However, it is doubtful that Ideas of vile or insignificant things exist. This explains why Plato tends to reduce more and more the Ideas to ideas of mathematical objects and to certain qualities such as Beauty, the Good and the Just. In addition, he tends to order the ideas hierarchically. An Idea is all the more so because it expresses the unity of something that appears as multiple. Yet, if this unity is a reality in itself, the question is raised concerning what type of relationship exists between the one (ideal) and the multiple.7 Plato assumes two types of existence: a changing visible, lesser reality and an unchanging, true, invisible one.8 The visible one, associated with the body, conforms to the multiple, sensible realm of appearances and is perceived by the senses; the invisible one, associated with the soul, conforms to the supra-sensible realm of the Forms and is perceived by the soul or mind.9
instead, is immanent to the Multiple. (Met., A9, 990 b13 and also Met. A, 6, 987 b8).
6 Plato. Phaedo. 65b-d This ‘seen’ does not mean physical, that is with the eyes. It means an inner vision given the above etymology of Idea. Plato insists that true Reality is clear to the soul only by Reason. The Forms of the Just, the Beautiful and the Good exist; however, they cannot be seen with our perceptions, only with the soul and grasped only by thought.
7 Please see note 5.
8 Plato. Phaedo. 78e-79a This must be seen too in relation to Plato’s Cavern and Plato’s Line.
9 Plato. Phaedo. 79a-c
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