Plato, Augustine And Aquinas - 962 Words

How do we know things? Where does our knowledge come from? Plato, Augustine and Aquinas all had different ideas of what was the true definition of knowledge and how you are able to acquire that specific notion of knowledge. Plato claims that we are only able to acquire it through reason. What does he mean by reason? How would Augustine and Aquinas respond to his claims? Among these three I will accept one theory and give you the reasons of why I believe it more than the others. Do we obtain it through reason, through the divine power of god? As I mentioned Plato reveals to us that knowledge of things can only be attained by reason. In his work he says that true knowledge is always based on the knowledge of the pure, eternal and unchanging form. Since we live in an â€Å"illusory† world of matter and senses. Our knowledge of all forms remains limited. Plato also thinks that through proper education, philosophical studies and contemplation that we can attain a certain dim intell ectual understanding of the forms that surround us. Just as much as we come to know the true reality of mathematics and logic. He also defines his theories of knowledge with his political and ethical beliefs. He also made a reference to one of this written work, to the Allegory of the Cave. He said that; â€Å"The prisoner who escapes upward to the light of the sun and of real objects gains knowledge.† As if the prisoner looks at the true forms of the world he will somehow obtain a certain degree of knowledge.Show MoreRelatedComparison of Plato, Aquinas, Aristotle and Augustine1473 Words   |  6 PagesPlato Truth and Reality- And isnt it a bad thing to be deceived about the truth, and a good thing to know what the truth is? For I assume that by knowing the truth you mean knowing things as they really are. Truthfulness. He will never willingly tolerate an untruth, but will hate it as much as he loves truth... And is there anything more closely connected with wisdom than truth? (Plato, 380BC) Reason Reason is knowledge of things like mathematics but which require that some postulatesRead MoreComparison of Plato, Aquinas, Aristotle and Augustine1464 Words   |  6 PagesPlato Truth and Reality- And isnt it a bad thing to be deceived about the truth, and a good thing to know what the truth is? For I assume that by knowing the truth you mean knowing things as they really are. Truthfulness. He will never willingly tolerate an untruth, but will hate it as much as he loves truth... And is there anything more closely connected with wisdom than truth? (Plato, 380BC) Reason Reason is knowledge of things like mathematics but which require that some postulatesRead MoreGreek Philosophies Impact On The Early Development Of Christian Thought1348 Words   |  6 Pagesevaluated. Theologists like Augustine and Thomas Aquinas both discovered the use of Aristotle in the formation of the Christian mind. Aristotle, a Greek philosopher, believed that all humans had a purpose and that the purpose was for the greater good. However, the good life or the blessed life for Aquinas and Augustine was heaven. For Greek thinkers like Aristotle or even Plato, human actions derived from reason, rationality, and intellect. Christian thinkers like Augustine saw philosophical reflectionRead MoreQuestions On The Philosophy Of Metaphysics1372 Words   |  6 PagesWhat was Plato’s understanding of ultimate reality? How does he react to the Sophist and monistic materialistic pre Socratic philosophers in the vindication of his teacher, Socrates? How did Pythagoras and P armenides influence his thinking? How does Plato dialectically develop an understanding of the Good, Love, Justice, and Piety? How does his metaphysics ground and inform an ethical, political, and personal way of life? 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T he specific three I want to focus on being; St. Augustine, Thomas Aquinas and Rene Descartes. Lastly, I will proceed to relate their ideas on the existence of God and their development of these ideas. St. Augustine s epistemology is rationalization. In his argument for the existence of God, he is referringRead Moreontemporary Thinkers: Plato, Aristotle, Augustine, Aguinas Essay6220 Words   |  25 Pages Contemporary Thinkers: Plato, Aristotle, Augustine, Aguinas Question #1 : Please discuss the political organization of the Greek city- states, particularly Athenian democracy at the time of Pericles, Plato, and Aristotle. Also discuss the backgrounds of Socrates, Plato and Aristotle and the fate of the Greek city-states historically. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;During the time of Pericles, Plato, and Aristotle, Greece was divided into city-states with a wide variety of constitutions, ranging