A philosophy of perception in Plato

Authors

  • Hugo Filgueiras de Araújo Professor Adjunto da Universidade Federal do Ceará. Doutor em Filosofia pelo Programa Integrado de Doutorado UFPB/UFRN/UFPE.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14195/1984-249X_13_11

Keywords:

Plato, perception, sensitivity, Forms

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to defend that Plato ́s Philosophy, embodied in the Hypothesis of Forms, has in its scope an account of sense data and sensitivity. They do not have to be left out, as the secondary literature usually holds. In Theaetetus, Socrates analyses exhaustively the possibility of sensitivity be held as knowledge; In Phaedo, using the reminiscence argument, Plato admits that in order to have learning process and memory, it is necessary that we have two correlative and mutually necessary cognitive experiences, namely: a sensitive perception (aísthesis), which gives rise to anamneses, and the soul ́s contact to the Forms, which is prior to birth. This is so, because the individual can only have memory of what he knew beforehand. This paper holds therefore that there is a Philosophy of Perception in Plato.

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References

BERNABÉ, A. (2011). Platão e Orfismo: diálogos entre religião e filosofia. São Paulo, Anablume Clássica.CROMBIE, I. M. (1971). An Examination of Plato’s Doctrines. London, Routledge & Kegan Paul.GUTHRIE, W. K. (1968). A History of Greek Philosophy V: Later Plato and The Academy. Cambridge, University Press.HAMLYN, D. W. (1961). Sensation and perception. A History of the Philosophy of Perception. New York, Routledge & Keagan.MUNIZ, F. (2011). A potência da aparência: um estudo sobre o prazer e a sensação nos diálogos de Platão. São Paulo, Anablume Clássica.PLATÃO. (1988). Fédon. Tradução de Maria Teresa Schiappa de Azevedo. Coimbra, Livraria Minerva.______. (1979). Diálogos: Teeteto - Crátilo. Tradução e notas de Carlos Alberto Nunes. 2. ed. São Paulo, Abril Cultural.______. (2002). Górgias. Tradução de Carlos Alberto Nunes. In: Diálogos. 2.ed. Belém, UDUFPA.______. (2004). Timeu. Trad. de Maria José Figueiredo. Lisboa, InsTituto Piaget.SNELL, B. (1997). A descoberta do Espírito. Rio de Janeiro, Editora 70.

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Published

2025-11-28

How to Cite

Araújo, H. F. de. (2025). A philosophy of perception in Plato. Revista Archai, (13), 109. https://doi.org/10.14195/1984-249X_13_11

Issue

No. 13 (2014): No. 13 (2014): Revista Archai nº13 (July, 2014)

Section

Dossier

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Hugo Filgueiras de Araújo

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