1. Owen Phelps
Roman and Greek Philosophy
Antomarini
18/10/14
On the Permanence of Knowledge
Upon first glance, Plato hardly seems like a philosopher at all. His work dabbles between
attempting to define vague concepts such as Justice and Virtue, while advocating seemingly totalitarian
societies which he stresses in a rather self-congratulatory manner that he should be the ruler of. Perhaps,
to the modern mind, Plato’s philosophy seems more like a relic confined to the past, and should only be
used as a yardstick to measure how far our levels of science and reasoning have developed since then.
Yet, one of Plato’s theories that receives little recognition to those that cursorily read his works is his
theory of duality: the belief in which there are two contrasting worlds that are at odds with one another. In
Plato’s case, the two opposing forces are the temporary physical world of the senses, and the permanent
metaphysical world of ideas. While it may seem counterintuitive to hold a belief that knowledge is a fixed
entity, the themes in a multitude of Plato’s works demonstrate a finely though-out logic to defend his
dualism.
The text in which most lucidly describes Plato’s theory of dualism between the physical and
metaphysical is found within the work of Timaeus. The dialogue begins by establishing the fundamental
difference that separates the material world, which is found through the senses, and the immaterial world
which can only be found through reason: “That which is apprehended by intelligence and reason is always
in the same state; but that which is conceived by opinion with the help of sensation and without reason, is
always in a process of becoming ad perishing and never really is.” (Timaeus 1). Plato attributes the reason
for this dichotomy to the purpose of a divine mind that created the world of senses – an imperfect world
– while populating the living beings within it a soul: a means to find and comprehend the perfect world,
and was thus evidence of the metaphysical world of unchanging ideas. However, just as the living
creatures are populated with a divine essence of perfect ideas, so is the physical world itself, which is

2. composed of patterns: “The work of the creator, whenever he looks to the unchangeable and fashions the
form and nature of his work after an unchangeable pattern, must necessarily be made fair and perfect; but
when he looks to the created only, and uses a created pattern, it is not fair or perfect.” (Timaeus 3). As
such, Plato’s worldview shows a hierarchy of mortal and divine, with human intelligence acting as a
bridge to cross from the material to the immaterial. While the world that is perceived through the senses is
one of continual erosion and change, the world of ideas is one of consistency.
While Timaeus establishes the distinct opposition between the physical and metaphysical worlds
which characterize Plato’s dualism, the argument found within Parmenides clarifies on how both worlds
intersect – for the physical world cannot be without ideas, or thinking would be impossible. Considering
this, Plato postulates that the material world is an existence that is inhabited by Forms: physical
manifestations of ideas from the metaphysical world, that are represented as individual pieces, or as
wholes. For instance, the idea of what it means to be “Great” can spread itself in varying degrees: “… a
number of great objects, and when you look at them there seems to you to be one and the same idea (or
nature) in them all; hence you conceive of greatness in one.” (Parmenides 4). However, while it may
seem rather hypocritical of Plato to state in one text that the material and immaterial worlds are separate
from one another, Plato expands upon his dualistic view, and states that while both worlds are distinct,
they do overlap and coincide: “…Ideas are, as it were, patterns fixed in nature, and other things are like
them, and resemblances of them – what is meant by the participation of other things in the ideas, is really
assimilation to them.” (Parmenides 5). As such, Plato draws upon the argument created in Timaeus
wherein which ideas are akin to the fixed patterns, while created patterns (those that we are able to see)
are merely imitations of those perfected patterns found in ideas. Though the physical world bears likeness
to that of the metaphysical world, it is only analogous, and therefore, imperfect.
Following this, it is within Phaedo that Plato definitively establishes the logic in which how
humanity is able to perceive the world of unchangeable knowledge. Having drawn from Parmenides and
Timaeus, Plato explains that the soul of the body – the divine essence within every human – is able to
transcend the material plane into the world of ideas through philosophy and reflection: “But when

3. returning into herself she [the soul] reflects; then she passes into the realm of purity, and immorality and
eternity and unchangeableness, which are her kindred and with them she ever lives.” (Phaedo 7). As such,
Plato determines that since the soul shares the likeness of the divine, and subsequently is a product of the
world of ideas and forms, the soul is able to transcend the changeable world, and form a communion
within the world that it originates from: the metaphysical. Since humanity is able to transcend into the
world of ideas through reflection – and thus shedding the senses which serve only as distraction – it is
then able to enter the world of knowledge which Plato established as unchanging and consistent.
As such, Plato outlines three arguments which demonstrate how the physical and metaphysical
world are separate, yet overlap, and that the latter is accessible to humans, which explains how humans
are intelligent beings. Within Timaeus Plato establishes that the physical world is one of constant
becoming and perishing, and what is learned from the senses is fleeting, and thus not true knowledge.
Within Parmenides, Plato outlines how both worlds relate to one another, and though each world is built
off of patterns and forms, those found within the physical world are only analogous, as those patterns
found that build the physical world are imperfect. Lastly, within Phaedo,Plato stresses the importance of
philosophy, which allows the soul to return home to the realm of ideas and perfect forms. All three texts
underly the constance of knowledge as an unchanging entity unto itself; for the world of ideas is also that
of perfect forms and patterns, and perfection – by definition – does not need changing. Since the physical
world is one that is merely analogous to the metaphysical, the imperfections and changes of the world of
senses signify that there must be a world of constancy and perfection. To Plato, that world is knowledge;
for how can the Truth be truth if it were to change?