Malak Zantout- This paper exposes the philosophies of Plato on his world of ideas,Aristotle’s ethics, and Lucretius’ atomization theory. This paper will also explore how each oftheir philosophies helps us understand ourselves, and where we will be situated if we followthem. We began by elaborating upon Plato’s philosophy, followed by Aristotle, and finally endedwith Lucretius on his theory on atoms.Moses Nassar- The Greek philosopher Plato formulated a concept known as the “Theoryof Forms,” which proposed that the subjective reality that we humans experience is not thecomplete truth. Instead, human beings interact with the physical world which is merely a shadowof a greater objective reality. Our senses allow us to see the differing forms of an object (such asthe different breeds of a dog) while our intellect gives us the ability to recognize that thesediffering forms are derivative of the same idea (that being a true dog).No matter how the breed may look, we are aware of what constitutes a dog regardless of ifthey are a German Shepherd or a pug. This greater idea of a “true dog” exists within theobjective reality known as the World of Ideas. It is through our intellectual connection to themetaphysical World of Ideas that we can attain what Plato believed to be true knowledge.Plato further explained this concept in his “Allegory of the Cave” in which he hypothesized acase where men spent their entire lives facing the wall of a cave as people walked behind them.The men, who were chained and knew nothing of the world save for the shadows cast on the wallin front of them, believed that the shadows (as well as the sounds of those who casted theshadows), were their true reality (much like how Plato described the physical world to be a“shadow” of the World of Ideas). The man learning the truth, becoming enlightened, and leavingthe cave, unable to convince those around him to do the same, represents a philosopher attainingtrue knowledge by intellectually comprehending the existence of the World of Ideas.
