The True Cause of Beneficent Arrangement of the Natural World - Essay Example

Timmaeus is among the dialogue works written by Plato; it is a deluge presented in the form of long monologue and given by the character of the titular. The dialogue mainly is about the speculation on the physical world nature as well as human beings, which is followed by another dialogue known as Critias. The structure of the Cosmos Plato and Timmaeus describes the Cosmos also known as the physical world as the “becoming world or as the world as forms". Timmaeus describe the Cosmos as “the world of being", which implies everything in this world has always been there, and has no origin of becoming and can never change (Plato & Donald, p 6-p. 8). Moreover, it is “apprehended by understanding rather than senses. According to Platos cosmology, “the cosmos is the physical world”. Everything will come and pass away and supported by the opinion and perception of sense. Plato describes Cosmos that it became into being and was created with world of forms model, “The cosmos itself came into being, created using as its model the world of Forms. “Plato, in naming the Kosmos generation, he was simply trying to bring the fact that the account has less representation of faith in likeness known as the “likeness of an eternal model" (Plato & Donald, p 7-p. 8). In general, it means that the account is actually not probabilistic. Plato also describes the Cosmos as a living being simply because the Cosmos is based on a living being. Moreover, it is unique as it has souls and spherical shape due to its perfect and beautiful shape. Various presocratic philosophers also support Plato’s Cosmos nature and composition they include Heraclitus, Parmenides, Anaxagoras as well as Philolaus. The relationship between Plato’s and these dialogues from other philosophers has led to the rise of acrimonious and fruitful debate. Heraclitus also tried to examine the Cosmos and its nature, which made him offer a cosmological account concerning the nature of the physical world. He proceeds deeper than the Plato in inquiring and investigating the physical nature of the world (Plato & Donald, p 6-p. 8 ). Being one of the Presocratic philosophers, he further supports the nature of the world as containing an enormous variety of objects that will be, and have always been present. He claims, “all things on earth simply came from a common source or any other kind of stuff. The statement “that which always is, is that which becomes” by Plato is in line with the Parmenides passage (B1.30, B8.32-41). Plato also describes that order in every way is always better than disorder, which is almost alike with Heraclitus passage of describing order (Heraclitus B41, 45, 67, 102). The shape of living things and the physical elements are also described by Permenides (B8.42-49) And the Heraclitus (B31, 76, 90). These theories of Presocratic philosophers such as Heraclitus were sometimes daring as well as being bizarre. The philosophers, they could virtually explore any reasonable explanation about the nature and composition of Cosmos. Possibility of human knowledge of the Kosmos of observed natural phenomena Plato described the possibility of Human knowledge about the knowledge of Kosmos including the possibility of natural observed phenomena. Plato begins by describing the nature and structure of Matter. These were simply his “works of intellect” as well as the works of necessity.” Plato tries to bring out the knowledge of human beings about the existence of Cosmos by asking “what is the Cosmos made of”? (Timaeus 6f) Combination of Platos answers and the Presocratic philosophers transcend together taking into consideration the traditional earth, Fire, Air as well as the water bodies. Nevertheless, Plato further analyzes them in terms of mathematical figures and empty shapes as well such as the theorem of Pythagoreans, which makes his to go beyond the Presocratic philosophers (Plato & Donald, p 7-p. 8). Plato describes the existence of four elements that further proves the knowledge of human beings and the observed nature of Cosmos that is the nature of fire, earth, water as well air and how they came to exist or how they came into being. Plato introduces a new concept in addition to the model and its respective limitations/the world of becoming, “the receptacle of all becoming” simply meant the origin of all becoming, for instance, the becoming into being of fire are just but appearances, that is according to the receptacle of the fire itself. “Plato also describes Receptacle as space" (Plato & Donald, p 7-p. 8). In addition, Plato also further describes the coming into being of the elements, “which are the most beautiful and most excellent bodies that has ever come into being”, however, he further explains that their coming into being is from the mathematical triangles and supported by their construction in such ways that explains the possibility of element transmutation. Timaeus gives out a distinction explaining, “What always is and never becomes and what becomes and never is.” According to philosophers such as Aristotle general account, the early Pre-Socratic tried to link the knowledge of Cosmos existence in line with Plato’s statement. Pre-Socratic claimed that there was an existence of a single body, which existed and was responsible for the rise of Cosmos and its up to date existence as well as nature. Thus when the Presocarcratics such as Parmenides stated that “The first principle is water, and that even up to date everything is really water in one state or another” (Plato & Donald, p 7-p. 8 ), then this must be understood however in which form it might appear. Nature of the human being Plato begins his third main discourse section with the cooperation that focused on the psychological construction and nature of human beings. Moreover, it was a task that was delegated by the artisans all the way to a lesser, created gods. As immortal bodies are being embodied into individual immortal souls, the embodiment simply required that there must be the creation of soul’s mortal parts (Plato & Donald, pp. xxii-pp. xxv). According to Plato, all these parts must be assigned with their specific locations in the human body. For instance, the immortal and rational parts belongs to the head while the two mortal sections are for the trunk, in the chest where the spirited part belongs to, the belly is responsible for holding the appetite part. The heart and the lungs are n the chests respectively. Plato’s account further describes the formation of various parts of the body and respectively describing the functions of each part of the body relative to their resident soul parts. In addition, intellects further prescribe the purpose as well as the materials properties since they possess properties that which makes them complaints with the purposes of intellects that are the Necessity’s consequences. Timmaeus further moves on with his account by describing the digestion and respiration mechanisms in addition to describing the classification of the diseases that affects body and soul respectively. Plato describes this as “This is preparatory to an exhortation to properly exercise both the soul and the body to recover or maintain physical and psychic wellbeing.” In fact, Timmaeus emphasizes the souls’ wellbeing in particular by stating, “it is through realigning the motions of our souls with those of the universe at large that we achieve our goal of living virtuously and happily”. He further concludes his account with both the women and non-human animals’ generation (Plato & Donald, pp. xxii-pp. xxv). In addition, Theaetetus and the Parmenides accounts somehow are in line with Plato’s account. According to Owen, a philosopher researcher, there is several similarities within these accounts especially from the Parmenides. The Theaetetus accounts of human nature both of which when viewed from the orthodox confirmed the similarity of these two accounts in addition of being based on long-term standing tradition, which was later confirmed by the Plato’s writing generated from the stylometric studies, the work of philologists from the late period of 19th and early 20th century. Means through which human being ought to live their life According to Plato’s Timaeus account, there is human beings should live their life especially based on ethical standards of human beings. Plato, through Socrates, inherited the conviction that whoever has knowledge of the goodness will lead a Slavic kind of life in their life. A knowledge valued by Socrates as an elusive knowledge. Plato proceeds with his account beyond the human ethical matters. Socrates expressed a strong conviction describing goodness as the true cause of beneficent arrangement of the natural world; however, the goodness nature continued in eluding him as well (A Presocratics reader, pp. 158-pp. 160). Plato describes that the goodness nature supremacy is always recognized in the epistemology and metaphysical roles that are dedicated of the Republic form of the good. Moreover, it is through this form that will determine philosophical diplomats’ education that will determine a life full of happiness and virtuous. Plato further describes that the only thing remaining is the articulation of how cosmic kind of goodness should be manifested to human beings so that its understanding and recognition be instilled in them for a a happier and virtuous life living, which is an important contribution under these subjects that is made by Timaeus. The pre-Socratic philosophers such as the Critias and Heraclitus’s accounts are similar to Plato’s account. Timaeus discourse which is generally sandwiched between their accounts that provides the human nature accounts and how they should on the universe, also is the Socrates account is similar with the Platos account of education, that generally provided the basis human virtues in action as will be provided by Critia’s forthcoming account (A Presocratics reader, pp. 158-pp. 160). Plato’s passage reaches its climax by stating, “human beings are urged to devote their utmost attention to the cultivation and preservation of the wellbeing of their immortal, rational souls.” In conclusion, In fact, Plato describes that the goal of any human life correlated with his rational soul should realign these particular revolutions with those that belongs to the entire universe at large. Work Cited Plato, , and Donald J. Zeyl. Timaeus. Indianapolis: Hackett, 2000. Print. 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