Affiliation:
1. Karamanoğlu Mehmetbey Üniversitesi
Abstract
From the very first ancient Greek thinkers on, it has always been a philosophically central activity to think on the universe, man and society comprehensively. These three problem nets were scrutinized also in Plato’s work exhaustively. Platonic system supposes the philosopher to philosophize by drawing on Ideas and this activity is on the one hand deals with the universe and with the man and social order on the other. In this regard, emergence of the existing things (ta onta) is examined in a way that links these to Demiurgos’ activity, who itself is not an existing thing. Nevertheless, there is a resemblance between Demiurgos’ deeds and the philosopher king’s duty, who is supposed to conceive the latter via reason: Both agents are masters of giving a form. Just as Demiurgos had projected Ideas upon the natural material and thus given the universe an order and done well, the philosopher king should, upon that ontological ground, form a city-state, where its settlers are able to live a just and happy life. In this essay, Plato’s thoughts on being and becoming are examined by including the ethical and political motivation behind these metaphysical conclusions.
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