2070- PLATO
Plato was
born in 427 BC- he was the most famous student of Socrates.
He is best
known for his theory of Ideas/Forms.
He believed
that the material world was an imperfect copy of the Idea world.
That is he
believed that Ideas exist apart from the construct of the human mind- that they
were the perfect forms of the things we see in the material realm.
He could
also be referred to as a Realist- because he believed these Ideas actually
existed [for real]. Where did he get
this from?
As we study Philosophy-
each one that comes down the line has been influenced in some way by those that
preceded them.
There was a famous
thinker- Pythagoras [his followers were the Pythagoreans] who taught a concept
called the Transmigration of the Soul [a sort of Reincarnation].
They believed
that the soul of man went thru various stages- and existed independently of the
body.
In Greek
thought the soul is immortal- it exists before the body.
In Christian
teaching the Soul [mind- Spirit] comes into existence when God creates man [the
bible says ‘and man BECAME a living soul’- referring to the creation of Adam].
The Greeks
saw the soul as preexisting before the natural life.
In the mind
of Plato- the body was a receptacle- in this life we recollect the knowledge
that comes from the Idea world.
He ascribed Ontological
status to ideas themselves.
In Philosophy
there are 2 basic ways knowledge comes [we study this in Epistemology- an
offshoot of Philosophy- which deals with how we know things].
A Priori
knowledge is knowledge obtained independent of experience.
A Posteriori
is knowledge obtained thru the senses- what we call Empirical evidence.
In Plato’s
schema he believed that the knowledge that comes to us from the Formal world
[ideas- forms] was A Priori knowledge- that the human mind recalls- and in the
present material world- knowledge comes to us from the perfect idea world.
The Greeks believed
that all matter was flawed- that the Body was an imperfect vessel- and after death
we are released into the perfect world- and free from the material realm.
Christian Tradition
does not hold to this view.
The Church
teaches that the created world is good- not evil.
Among Christians
there is some confusion about this- because the older versions of the bible [King
James] seem to teach that matter [world, flesh] is evil.
Why?
Paul the apostle
talks about no good thing being in The Flesh- he talks about the Carnal mind-
the apostle John says ‘all that is in the World- the lust of the flesh- the
pride of life- is not of the Father but is of the world’.
There are
many references like this in the bible- but they are speaking about the sinful
nature of man [the flesh] and not about the human body itself [For instance
Paul says in Romans ‘present your BODIES as living sacrifices unto God- Holy
and acceptable’ in Corinthians ‘your BODY is the temple of the Holy Spirit’-
there are many references in scripture that speak of the Body as Holy.
When the
bible says ‘satan is the god of this world’ it is not speaking of the earth- which
God created- and calls GOOD- but it is speaking of the ‘world’ system- an age
of wickedness.
So- at times
Christians have confused this- and have held a sort of Dualistic view of
matter- that is not the biblical view- but a Gnostic view- that all matter is
evil.
Plato saw the
unseen world of Ideas as the perfect- pure world.
He taught
that in this life we obtain the knowledge of the pure- by reason of
recollection- that these pure ideas come to us ‘are recalled’ in this life.
He is famous
for founding the first Philosophical school- it was called The Academy- named after
a man by the name of Academus.
The land was
donated for the school- it was previously used as an Olive Grove- and in honor
of the donation- Plato named the school after the donor.
This is why
we use the phrase ‘The Groves of Academia’ today.
Plato was actually
a nick name- he wrestled in Athens- in a sort of precursor to what would later become
the Olympic games- and he was broad shouldered- that’s where his name comes
from- Plato means broad shouldered.
So- to sum
up- Plato believed that Forms [ideas] were eternal, the cause of all that is.
He believed
we are born with innate ideas- these are not learned thru sense experience- but
exist independently of the mind- and in this bodily life we retrieve [the body
is a receptacle] these ideas.
Does the
bible teach anything along these lines?
Not exactly.
Christians believe
that God himself is infinite- without beginning or end.
That wisdom-
ideas- ‘forms’ of things do indeed exist- prior to our own life.
But these
ideas are not without a Mind- God is Spirit- and he is everywhere [Omnipresent]
he knows all tings [Omniscient] - so- in a way- there are indeed ideas- forms-
but they come from the ultimate Mind of God.
A good example
would be the building of the Tabernacle- and later the Temple- under Moses and
King David [his son Solomon actually built it].
God told
Moses ‘see that you build it after the Pattern shown to thee in the mount’.
In the book
of Hebrews we read that the earthly Tabernacle [Temple] was simply an image- a symbol-
of heavenly realities.
That God
himself had the ‘form’ in his mind- indeed- like Plato taught- the heavenly
form is perfect- the earthly expression imperfect.
But these
patterns- forms- ideas- are from the Mind of God- they are not Innate in the
soul of man- nor does the soul of man exist before his birth.
In the past
few months I have had several Christian friends tell me that they feel like
they existed before this life- a type of reincarnation.
I explained
to them that in the Christian faith we do not hold to this view.
But- the
bible does tell us that God had a purpose for us- Predetermined- before the
‘foundation of the world’.
Meaning that
yes- in the Mind of God- in a way- we did exist- but we did not have actual being
[called Ontological status in the field of Philosophy] until we were created by
God.
God’s
purpose for us was already in the Mind of God before our birth.
The bible
says that Christ is made unto us wisdom- we are not Receptacles in the sense
that Plato taught.
But yes- in
time God reveals to us this Hidden Wisdom- about his love and purpose for us.
And in this
life we act out- we fulfil this eternal purpose.
Man [or
woman] can never find true happiness- true meaning- until they tap into this
purpose.
We were
created by the hand of God- to bring glory and honor to him- and we in this
life can ever find true fulfilment- until we make it back to God.
1Chronicles
28:10 Take heed now; for the LORD hath chosen thee to build an house for the
sanctuary: be strong, and do it.
1Chronicles
28:11 Then David gave to Solomon his son the pattern of the porch, and of the
houses thereof, and of the treasuries thereof, and of the upper chambers
thereof, and of the inner parlours thereof, and of the place of the mercy seat,
1Chronicles
28:12 And the pattern of all that he had by the spirit, of the courts of the
house of the LORD, and of all the chambers round about, of the treasuries of
the house of God, and of the treasuries of the dedicated things:
1Chronicles 28:19 All
this, said David, the LORD made me understand in writing by his hand upon me,
even all the works of this pattern.
Exodus 25:9 According
to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern
of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it.
Exodus 25:40 And look
that thou make them after their pattern, which was shewed thee in the mount.
Hebrews 8:5
Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was
admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith he,
that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount.
Hebrews 9:23
It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be
purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices
than these.
Hebrews 9:24
For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the
figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of
God for us:
Ecclesiastes 7:12 For
wisdom is a defence, and money is a defence: but the excellency of knowledge
is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it.
Ecclesiastes 7:19
Wisdom strengtheneth the wise more than ten mighty men which are in the city.
Ecclesiastes
7:25 I applied mine heart to know, and to search, and to seek out wisdom, and
the reason of things, and to know the wickedness of folly, even of foolishness
and madness:
Ecclesiastes
7:26 And I find more bitter than death the woman, whose heart is snares and
nets, and her hands as bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the
sinner shall be taken by her.
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