Plato's Theory of Knowledge and the Islamic Thought - An Opinion
*this journal is taken from my friendster bulletin news*
Plato's theory of Forms and his theory of knowledge are so interrelated that they must be discussed together. Influenced by Socrates, Plato was convinced that knowledge is attainable. He was also convinced of two essential characteristics of knowledge. First, knowledge must be certain and infallible. Second, knowledge must have as its object that which is genuinely real as contrasted with that which is an appearance only. Because that which is fully real must, for Plato, be fixed, permanent, and unchanging, he identified the real with the ideal realm of being as opposed to the physical world of becoming. One consequence of this view was Plato's rejection of empiricism, the claim that knowledge is derived from sense experience. He thought that propositions derived from sense experience have, at most, a degree of probability. They are not certain. Furthermore, the objects of sense experience are changeable phenomena of the physical world. Hence, objects of sense experience are not proper objects of knowledge.
Plato's own theory of knowledge is found in the Republic, particularly in his discussion of the image of the divided line and the myth of the cave. In the former, Plato distinguishes between two levels of awareness: opinion and knowledge. Claims or assertions about the physical or visible world, including both commonsense observations and the propositions of science, are opinions only. Some of these opinions are well founded; some are not; but none of them counts as genuine knowledge. The higher level of awareness is knowledge, because there reason, rather than sense experience, is involved. Reason, properly used, results in intellectual insights that are certain, and the objects of these rational insights are the abiding universals, the eternal Forms or substances that constitute the real world.
The myth of the cave describes individuals chained deep within the recesses of a cave. Bound so that vision is restricted, they cannot see one another. The only thing visible is the wall of the cave upon which appear shadows cast by models or statues of animals and objects that are passed before a brightly burning fire. Breaking free, one of the individuals escapes from the cave into the light of day. With the aid of the sun, that person sees for the first time the real world and returns to the cave with the message that the only things they have seen heretofore are shadows and appearances and that the real world awaits them if they are willing to struggle free of their bonds. The shadowy environment of the cave symbolizes for Plato the physical world of appearances. Escape into the sun-filled setting outside the cave symbolizes the transition to the real world, the world of full and perfect being, the world of Forms, which is the proper object of knowledge.
[Source: © Plato, written by Robert M. Baird, Professor of Philosophy, Baylor University, in the Encyclopedia Encarta ]
My assertions regarding Plato's Theory of Knowledge
Tahsin ibn Muhammad al-Noor; Xaxerian
The theory of Knowledge proposed by Plato is a most excellent one indeed, relating closely to the Truth and Philosophy that is taught in Islaam, and by the Prophets, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad, blessings and peace be upon their noble souls.
The proper source of knowledge, asserted by Plato to be the world of Forms, is the spiritual transcendence one experiences while surrendering one's soul to Allah, Glorified and Exalted be He, through his/her Islaam and salaah i.e. worship. The beings chained to the shadowy caves are those unable to find their Creator, the Omnipotent, the Eternal, the source of all the knowledge and wisdom of the Heavens and the Earth.
We are forever trying to find ways to attain knowledge, and spiritual perfection, searching valiantly for the Truth and the justice pertained within its skies. Such desires have led to the formation and foundation of so many religions and philosophies around the entire world, in almost every culture, creating diverse opinions and thoughts of countless kinds. Each and every one of them is to be respected, but they ultimately fall into the shadowy cave asserted by Plato's theory of Knowledge.
The perfect faith and religion, the source of the world of Forms, has been granted unto mankind by Allah, Glorified and Exalted be He: al-Islaam, the submission unto the Creator, the Master, the Lord, the source of Knowledge.
Let us break away from the shadowy dungeons of the mythical Cave, and embrace al-Islaam, the perfect world of Forms. For truly, our Return is unto the source of all the knowledge and wisdom Himself, Allah, Glorified and Exalted be He, and the best philosophy to be followed is that ordained by Him : La-ilaha-illa-Allah-wa-Muhammad-un-wa-Rasul-al-Allah (There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah).
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I agree with al-akh Tahsin when he said "the best philosophy to be followed is that ordained by Him : La-ilaha-illa-Allah-wa-Muhammad-un-Rasul-al-Allah". These two kalimah span the realm of knowlegde eg. philosophy, theology and even science, as well as submission in them.
But, I personally disagree when he said:
"The theory of Knowledge proposed by Plato is a most excellent one indeed, relating closely to the Truth and Philosophy that is taught in Islaam, and by the Prophets"
and,
"The proper source of knowledge, asserted by Plato to be the world of Forms, is the spiritual transcendence one experiences while surrendering one's soul to Allah".
Greek philosophies were not descended by prophets. Ibrahim a.s might had his own philosophy in his search of the ultimate Creator in the cave during his childhood. Then Muhammad s.a.w used his teaching while secluding himself from the jahiliyyah atmosphere, also in a cave and also with a same purpose. But both of them had already realized (or at least presumed) that the God exist before their spiritual adventures in the caves. In contrast to the Greek philosophers, who denied the Greek gods and founded the ways to intellectual and spiritual enlightenment. Some of them , eg Aristotle, believed in God, and the other rejected (a good example would be Democritus, the 1st man who proposed the atom theory). Greek philosophies, if I am not mistaken, were brought into the Islamic world by the Islamic scholars (eg Al-Khawarizmi, Al-Biruni & Ibn Sina) and the sufis (tasawwuf filsafati mainstream). While many of the Islamic scholars were influenced by Aristotelian logical and empirical methodology, the sufis syncretised his cosmology into their theology. History has shown the consequences of this syncretism: the rise of Arabs' scientific discoveries and civilisation, the sufistic stream of wahdatul wujud was born, the rejection of Ibn Arabi by Imam Junaid for his radical sufistic views, the rejection of Al-Farabi and Al-Kindi by Imam Al-Ghazali for adapting the Greek cosmology into Islamic theology etc.
Plato's idea of eternal forms... hmmm.... I think al-akh Tahsin misunderstood with what Plato actually meant by Forms (or Ideals). This dualistic view of nature by Plato agrees with both Heraclitus and Anaxagoras who said 'nothing is changing' and 'everything flows' respectively. We were born, according to him, with the ideal form of birds, for instance, but when we see the world fo the first time, we forgot everything. When we see birds, they remind us to the ideal bird. Thus, although actual birds die and turn into particles, the ideal form of birds is eternal. (We know ALLAH is 'eternal' but were we born with the Ideal Form of Him? I dont think so. We were born only with a feeling that we need a Supreme God, and this is the fitrah of human being). Then he went further by saying that the true knowledge is the knowlegde attained only by reasoning and human senses are unreliable. (hmm...)
ALLAH has set the guidelines for His believers in Holy Quran. FOR ME, to attain knowlegde (and wisdom), one must use all this three tools. The Wahy (Quran and Sunnah), his own reason and his own senses. {...afala tatadabbaruun?, ...afala ta'qiluun?, ...afala tasma'uun?, ...afala tubsiruun?}.The methods are asking the ahlu azzkir, travelling (yeah!) , {...fas'alu ahla-adz-adzikri in kuntum laa taa'lamuun; ...faseeru fil-ardhi fanzhuru kaifa bada'a-lkhalq...} and of course; merenung, memikir dan menghayati {inna fi khalqi-ssamaawaati wal-ardhi wakhtilafi-l-laili wa-nnahaari la-aayaatun li-ulil-albaab}.
Instead of escaping from the Plato's cave to see the Eternal Forms, Muhammad s.a.w went into a cave to search the Ultimate ENTITY.. WALLAHUa'alam.
The theory of Knowledge proposed by Plato is a most excellent one indeed, relating closely to the Truth and Philosophy that is taught in Islaam, and by the Prophets, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad, blessings and peace be upon their noble souls.
The proper source of knowledge, asserted by Plato to be the world of Forms, is the spiritual transcendence one experiences while surrendering one's soul to Allah, Glorified and Exalted be He, through his/her Islaam and salaah i.e. worship. The beings chained to the shadowy caves are those unable to find their Creator, the Omnipotent, the Eternal, the source of all the knowledge and wisdom of the Heavens and the Earth.
We are forever trying to find ways to attain knowledge, and spiritual perfection, searching valiantly for the Truth and the justice pertained within its skies. Such desires have led to the formation and foundation of so many religions and philosophies around the entire world, in almost every culture, creating diverse opinions and thoughts of countless kinds. Each and every one of them is to be respected, but they ultimately fall into the shadowy cave asserted by Plato's theory of Knowledge.
The perfect faith and religion, the source of the world of Forms, has been granted unto mankind by Allah, Glorified and Exalted be He: al-Islaam, the submission unto the Creator, the Master, the Lord, the source of Knowledge.
Let us break away from the shadowy dungeons of the mythical Cave, and embrace al-Islaam, the perfect world of Forms. For truly, our Return is unto the source of all the knowledge and wisdom Himself, Allah, Glorified and Exalted be He, and the best philosophy to be followed is that ordained by Him : La-ilaha-illa-Allah-wa-Muhammad-un-wa-Rasul-al-Allah (There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah).
********************************************************************************
I agree with al-akh Tahsin when he said "the best philosophy to be followed is that ordained by Him : La-ilaha-illa-Allah-wa-Muhammad-un-Rasul-al-Allah". These two kalimah span the realm of knowlegde eg. philosophy, theology and even science, as well as submission in them.
But, I personally disagree when he said:
"The theory of Knowledge proposed by Plato is a most excellent one indeed, relating closely to the Truth and Philosophy that is taught in Islaam, and by the Prophets"
and,
"The proper source of knowledge, asserted by Plato to be the world of Forms, is the spiritual transcendence one experiences while surrendering one's soul to Allah".
Greek philosophies were not descended by prophets. Ibrahim a.s might had his own philosophy in his search of the ultimate Creator in the cave during his childhood. Then Muhammad s.a.w used his teaching while secluding himself from the jahiliyyah atmosphere, also in a cave and also with a same purpose. But both of them had already realized (or at least presumed) that the God exist before their spiritual adventures in the caves. In contrast to the Greek philosophers, who denied the Greek gods and founded the ways to intellectual and spiritual enlightenment. Some of them , eg Aristotle, believed in God, and the other rejected (a good example would be Democritus, the 1st man who proposed the atom theory). Greek philosophies, if I am not mistaken, were brought into the Islamic world by the Islamic scholars (eg Al-Khawarizmi, Al-Biruni & Ibn Sina) and the sufis (tasawwuf filsafati mainstream). While many of the Islamic scholars were influenced by Aristotelian logical and empirical methodology, the sufis syncretised his cosmology into their theology. History has shown the consequences of this syncretism: the rise of Arabs' scientific discoveries and civilisation, the sufistic stream of wahdatul wujud was born, the rejection of Ibn Arabi by Imam Junaid for his radical sufistic views, the rejection of Al-Farabi and Al-Kindi by Imam Al-Ghazali for adapting the Greek cosmology into Islamic theology etc.
Plato's idea of eternal forms... hmmm.... I think al-akh Tahsin misunderstood with what Plato actually meant by Forms (or Ideals). This dualistic view of nature by Plato agrees with both Heraclitus and Anaxagoras who said 'nothing is changing' and 'everything flows' respectively. We were born, according to him, with the ideal form of birds, for instance, but when we see the world fo the first time, we forgot everything. When we see birds, they remind us to the ideal bird. Thus, although actual birds die and turn into particles, the ideal form of birds is eternal. (We know ALLAH is 'eternal' but were we born with the Ideal Form of Him? I dont think so. We were born only with a feeling that we need a Supreme God, and this is the fitrah of human being). Then he went further by saying that the true knowledge is the knowlegde attained only by reasoning and human senses are unreliable. (hmm...)
ALLAH has set the guidelines for His believers in Holy Quran. FOR ME, to attain knowlegde (and wisdom), one must use all this three tools. The Wahy (Quran and Sunnah), his own reason and his own senses. {...afala tatadabbaruun?, ...afala ta'qiluun?, ...afala tasma'uun?, ...afala tubsiruun?}.The methods are asking the ahlu azzkir, travelling (yeah!) , {...fas'alu ahla-adz-adzikri in kuntum laa taa'lamuun; ...faseeru fil-ardhi fanzhuru kaifa bada'a-lkhalq...} and of course; merenung, memikir dan menghayati {inna fi khalqi-ssamaawaati wal-ardhi wakhtilafi-l-laili wa-nnahaari la-aayaatun li-ulil-albaab}.
Instead of escaping from the Plato's cave to see the Eternal Forms, Muhammad s.a.w went into a cave to search the Ultimate ENTITY.. WALLAHUa'alam.
-Orion-
*this is only my opinion and please do not take it as a knowledge or a source of knowledge*
*this is only my opinion and please do not take it as a knowledge or a source of knowledge*
posted by Anang Adiwarni at 7:38 pm
3 comments
