Paul: I concur with your assessment...what do you think Plato himself would make of this atheistic version of his Forms? Do you think Plato needs the personal component to connect the Moral Fact with the Moral Person (or agent)? I don’t get the impression that Plato endorses an atheistic universe...
Hello Darrell--good question. I'd want to think on it a bit more, but a few quick thoughts. In the Republic Plato is exploring the nature of justice and concludes that a just life is a certain kind of virtuous life--so we flourish when our internal "parts" are in harmony with each other. So, Plato is broadly a part of the virtue tradition that was common to ancient Greek Philosophy. Second, thinking of his discussion in Laws (I think)--if I recall he does argue from a moral law to a kind of moral law-giver of sorts..It's been awhile since I have read it, but I don't think that Plato would really endorse what we view as as the grand atheistic/naturalistic universe...he seems to be pointing toward a kind of theism (but again, its been awhile since I've read the Laws). Blessings, Paul
Solid post! Very well said.
Thank you. Excellent observations.
Thank you Jim!
Paul: I concur with your assessment...what do you think Plato himself would make of this atheistic version of his Forms? Do you think Plato needs the personal component to connect the Moral Fact with the Moral Person (or agent)? I don’t get the impression that Plato endorses an atheistic universe...
Hello Darrell--good question. I'd want to think on it a bit more, but a few quick thoughts. In the Republic Plato is exploring the nature of justice and concludes that a just life is a certain kind of virtuous life--so we flourish when our internal "parts" are in harmony with each other. So, Plato is broadly a part of the virtue tradition that was common to ancient Greek Philosophy. Second, thinking of his discussion in Laws (I think)--if I recall he does argue from a moral law to a kind of moral law-giver of sorts..It's been awhile since I have read it, but I don't think that Plato would really endorse what we view as as the grand atheistic/naturalistic universe...he seems to be pointing toward a kind of theism (but again, its been awhile since I've read the Laws). Blessings, Paul