Plato; Beyond the World of Senses

Some philosophical thinkers of ancient Greece thought otherwise. Rationalists were men who believed that some human knowledge is ‘a priori’, meaning already had prior to experience. One of these is Plato, who believed that the soul is something that existed prior to birth, has knowledge prior to any experience, and recollects knowledge of a transcendental world through participation in the natural world. This he calls the theory of Recollection.

To him, human beings can never arrive at the concept of "Equality" merely through perceptions of the natural world, since no 2 objects in nature are ever identical. Objects perceived in the natural world may be similar, even approximate "Equality" but are never truly Equal. Although 2 Roses may approximate each other, they are never equal; nor are 2 chairs ever equal; nor are 2 pencils ever equal. This stems from the fact that all things in nature are made of matter, and each is unique in variation of others. Therefore, perceptions of the natural can never help us arrive us reach the concept of perfect "Equality".

So how do we come to have the concept of perfect "Equality" when we can never have such impressions in the nature world? Plato argues that the soul, which exists before our human existence, belongs to a transcendental world of perfect Forms. This realm is immaterial, timeless, and eternal; forever has been, and forever will be!

The soul has already been exposed to these transcendental Forms prior to being incarnated into the natural world. Being re-incarnated into the human body, the soul somehow forgets about the knowledge it once knew. Through experience, and being exposed to objects that are approximately equal in the natural world, the individual recollects or reminisces about the more perfect "Ideal Form" he once knew.

Similarly, the imperfect physical objects such as the sun remind us of the Form of 'Circle'. A tennis ball reminds us of the Form of 'Sphere'. A Rose reminds us of the Form of 'Beauty'. A noble act reminds us of the Form of 'Justice'.