Aristotle's objections are that (1) if successful, then it would prove too many forms, including forms of negations, which is absurd on his and the Platonists’ view; and (2) it is not a valid argument for forms. According to Plato, anything that partakes of many things must itself be many. In his … Our philosophical reflection on the question of the one and the many brings us to the ancient Greek philosopher Plato (427 – 347 B.C). worries over the One and the Many, the difficulties it gives rise to are notorious. The one over many argument is that there are separated, everlasting forms corresponding to every general term truly predicated of groups of things. Aristotle's objections are that (1) if successful, then it would prove too many forms, including forms of negations, which is absurd on his and the Platonists’ view; and (2) it is not a valid argument for forms. The "One Over Many" Argument According to Aristotle, the Platonists had an argument for the existence of Forms that he called the "One Over Many". The One, The Many, and Plato A Critical Analysis of Plato’s Theory of Forms Emann Allebban P lato‘s theory of forms conveys his theories of both real-ity and knowledge, attracting the attention of philoso-phers of his time all the way to the present. He founded the Academy, an academic program which many consider to be the first Western university. Is the world one or many? Atlantis enthusiasts know Plato for his parable about it in Timaeus and other descriptions from Critias. So each form in the infinite hierarchy of forms of greatness is many. It is not, however, Plato's candor or his perspicuity that we want to assess here. This contradicts Oneness. Interpretation He founded the Academy, an academic program which many consider to be the first Western university. Plato with his myth of the cavern depicts how al the exisiting things of this world participate or partakes in Logos. One and the many is the Platonic doctrine of unity and diversity, i.e., Methexis (Greek term) or Partaking. Plato is arguably the most influential philosopher in Western intellectual history and is most known for his theory of transcendent forms (Ideas or essences). Exegetical work on philosophical systems requires not only that one give an account of the structure of a system’s assumptions and arguments, but also of its forms, such as the form of expression (or genre: dialogue, poem, aphorisms, and so on), or its form of argumentation (clear cut dis- cursive exposition, logical formalization, metaphorical, allegorical discourse, and so forth). Share with your friends. Home › Essays › Ancient Civilization › Pythagoras and Plato: From the One to Many. One of the most basic and continuing problems of man's history is the question of the one and the many and their relationship. The “One Over Many” Argument According to Aristotle, the Platonists had an argument for the existence of Forms that he called the “One Over Many.” Plato himself never used this title, although he sometimes described a Form as being a “one over many.” The one over many argument is that there are separated, everlasting forms corresponding to every general term truly predicated of groups of things. The theory, however, is … Plato. Quotations by Plato, Greek Philosopher, Born 427 BC. Our philosophical reflection on the question of the one and the many brings us to the ancient Greek philosopher Plato (427 – 347 B.C). He dedicated his life to learning and teaching and is hailed as one of the founders of Western philosophy. Plato wrote many philosophical texts—at least 25. is one of the most important figures of the Ancient Greek world and the entire history of Western thought. But then, given Purity and One/Many, it follows that each form in the infinite hierarchy of forms of greatness is not one. One way of resolving these apparent tensions is to reflect on Plato’s conception of philosophy. Plato was one of the most famous, respected, and influential philosophers of all time. To see how this applies to the Problem of the Many, let's simplify the case a little bit so there are only two water droplets, w 1 and w 2, that are neither determinately part of the cloud nor determinately not a …