Plato On Participation: An Examination Of The Relation Between Forms And Particulars

Abstract

<p>The undertaking of this thesis is an examination of Plato's notion of "participation", the relation between particulars and Forms. It is, in the main, a close scrutiny of the Platonic idea of metaphysical first principles as causes, as an attempt to find a possible explanation concerning how they relate to the perceptible realm. I have attempted to demonstrate, through this analysis, that Plato's initial view with regard to the connection between Being and Becoming, does not remain the same throughout his works. Rather, upon examining his initial position Plato recognized its shortcomings and consequently altered his claims about metaphysical causality. This alteration manifests itself in the replacing of the concept of "participation" with a different account of how particulars and Forms relate.</p>