Plato constructed the first Systematic Philosophy. A philosophical system is when an idea is taken and is worked into all aspects of experience. Plato shared his philosophy in what he called "dialogues." As shown in the Euthyphro, his early dialogues consisting of Socrates asking "what is ____" and the respondent answer is analyzed continually. Plato introduced the concept of viewing reality as "what is real" and "what appears to be real" or Becoming and Being. He makes the distinction between these two worlds in one of his dialogues, Timaeus. .
Understanding the distinction between Becoming and Being helps to understand Plato's theory of reality. Plato's world of Being is comprised of realities called Forms, which are the causes of the physical things that exist beneath them - for example, humans, squares, cups, computers, instances of justice and beauty etc. The word Form comes form the Greek word eidos, which translates into form in the sense of shape, appearance etc. However, Plato doesn't mean Form in the sense of something tangible. The Six features of Platonic Forms are as follows:.
1. Objective - they exist "out there" independently of our minds and wills.
2. Transcendent - they do not exist in space and time, but above or beyond.
3. Eternal - as realities, not subject to time, motion or change.
4. Intelligible - as realities they can't be felt by the senses, only by thought.
5. Archetypal - They are models for every thing that does or can exist.
6. Perfect - they include absolutely all features of the things of which they are the models. .
Basically, for every thing in the world of Becoming (a human being, an instance of beauty) there is an equal reality, which is its perfect Form in the world of Being (Human Being, Beauty). Plato gives two explanations as to how the Form gives essence to particular things. 1. Sensible things are imitations of the Forms 2. There is a participation of the sensible thing in its Form.
