Naoya Iwata on Plato's Phaedo

cf. Part II Paper B2: Plato, especially Phaedo

It is needless to say that the theory of Forms is one of the most important platonic doctrines. However, it is not easy to understand its theoretical grounds because in his dialogues Plato does not tell us clearly about them but seems to make Socrates simply assume that Forms exist and develop arguments based on that assumption. This lecture explores the question why or how Plato came to think that it was necessary to suppose such intelligible entities, with an analysis of the recollection argument in the Phaedo.