platonism
Platonism holds that the idea of a perfect circle exists beyond any drawn circle.
- Noun:
- A philosophical doctrine: Platonism is the philosophical position that abstract concepts, universal properties, or ideal forms have a real, objective existence independent of physical objects and human thought or language.
- Noun:
- The mathematician's belief in the reality of numbers reflects a form of platonism.
- Platonism argues that concepts like "justice" and "beauty" exist in a realm beyond the physical world.
Mathematical Platonism: The view that mathematical entities (like numbers and sets) exist independently of the human mind in an abstract realm.
- His research is grounded in mathematical platonism, believing equations describe an eternal truth.
Moral Platonism: The belief that objective moral values exist as abstract forms.
- The philosopher defended moral platonism against claims that ethics are merely social constructs.
Platonic (adj): Pertaining to the ideas of Plato or Platonism; often used to describe a non-physical, ideal, or spiritual relationship or form.
- They shared a purely platonic friendship.
Neoplatonism (n): A later system of philosophical and religious thought, developed in the 3rd century AD, inspired by but distinct from Plato's original ideas.
- Plotinus was a central figure in the development of Neoplatonism.
- Realism (in philosophy): Specifically, the doctrine that universals or abstract objects have mind-independent existence.
- Idealism (in a Platonic sense): The philosophical theory that ideas are the only true reality.
Theory of Forms: The core Platonic doctrine that the physical world is not the real world; instead, ultimate reality exists in non-physical, abstract "Forms" or "Ideas."
- Platonism is most famously associated with Plato's Theory of Forms.
The Realm of Forms: The transcendent world where the perfect, eternal Forms are said to exist.
- According to platonism, a circle drawn in sand is merely an imperfect copy of the perfect "Circle" in the Realm of Forms.
Platonism holds that the idea of a perfect circle exists beyond any drawn circle.
- (philosophy) the philosophical doctrine that abstract concepts exist independent of their names