Nicole brought up an excellent point. Plato would probably say something along the lines that the person has reached a level of better understanding and can reach into the world of forms. When they reach that point they can access deeper things within the realm of forms. So, from what I know, I believe that Plato believes that the inventor is simply taping into the power of the world of forms and using it to create something from that image he/she receives. It then fits Plato's description of the imitation that he purposes in the book.
However, all this is dependent on how people interact with the World of Forms. Is it an interaction where we pull the ideas out of the form, or does the World inspire inventors to create? Thinkers don't stop and mentally try to reach out into this realm of truth, so there clearly is no conscious manipulation of the zone on the human end. So my theory on what Plato would say is that through the use of logic and proper thinking, one begins to stir the innate knowledge and receives information through the souk. It would have to be the realm of forms throwing the correct ideas into the minds of inventors and that seems to be very illogical. I feel that there are innate ways for people to learn, but know way for people to find an absolute truth through their soul.
I think the problem you're having stems from the way we see reality in modern times. Real is what we can touch and feel. For Plato this is merely a part of reality. Our world is incomplete. I think his notion of this world is comparable with our modern idea of heaven, in which everything is perfect and we are supposedly closer to some god or another. If you can accept the idea of deities and a sort of parallel universe, then it's not so illogical how these things are reflected in our own world.
ReplyDeleteI agree, however, that with reality as we take it nowadays, his idea of the world of forms is problematic and we should perhaps not take it quite so literally and merely as a way to look at thought, reality and imitation of both (as in, art).
I suppose, but even with the idea of the realm of truths is a truth, there really isn't a way for us to know if we ca even come into contact with it at all. In the past, notions and theories that people took to be true were proven wrong. It may just be that we are imitating the truth, but there is no way of knowing if these things were inspired by the truth. Like with the modern notion of heaven. Heaven doesn't interact with people, it is completely separate but people try to reach out for it. Is it the same deal?
DeleteI think the problem you're having stems from the way we see reality in modern times. Real is what we can touch and feel. For Plato this is merely a part of reality. Our world is incomplete. I think his notion of this world is comparable with our modern idea of heaven, in which everything is perfect and we are supposedly closer to some god or another. If you can accept the idea of deities and a sort of parallel universe, then it's not so illogical how these things are reflected in our own world.
ReplyDeleteI agree, however, that with reality as we take it nowadays, his idea of the world of forms is problematic and we should perhaps not take it quite so literally and merely as a way to look at thought, reality and imitation of both (as in, art).