Plato, metaphysics and the forms

by Francis A. Grabowski

"This book aims to set the record straight about what Plato conceives the Forms to be. The author argues that because epistemological considerations motivate Plato's ontological commitments, it is reasonable to think that the former can be used to shed light on the latter. For the sake of providing background and context, the author first examines Pre-Platonic views on knowledge and finds that the ancients tended to model knowledge on perception. But the same epistemic model can be discerned in Plato. With this in mind, the author concludes that, owing to his epistemological commitments, Plato could not have conceived of the Forms as Aristotle and others have claimed. An interpretation of the Forms as concrete particulars provides a more coherent view of Plato's overall philosophical project."--Jacket.