Remaking America by George Shollenberger, Idea 100 + XII (Intelligent Design, V)
In this blog, I discuss the contribution of Plato (427-347 B.C.) to man’s knowledge of the Intelligence Design. Left, an art of Plato with Aristotle is shown. He was a geometer, the founder of the Greek Academy in Athens, and the teacher of Aristotle and Alexander the Great. His major writings are found in a huge 1961 book edited by Edith and Huntington Cairns, ‘Plato -The Collected Dialogues.’
Just about everything in Plato’s huge book deals with knowledge and morals related to the Intelligent Design. Plato’s creation theory is found in his Timaeus dialogue. His discussion of reincarnation is presented in the Phaedo dialogue. His discussion on negative thinking is found in his Sophist dialogue. On God, Plato’s most important dialogue is his Parmenides because he defines the ‘one’ in Abraham’s monotheism. In Parmenides, Plato also shows us how to develop symbols and give them meaning. To me, Plato is the first real scientist.
In Parmenides, Plato begins in 137c saying ‘if there is a one, of course, the one will not be many. Consequently, it cannot have any parts or be a whole.’ With no parts, the one has no beginning or end and is thus unlimited and has no shape. So, he says that the one cannot be anywhere and is neither in itself nor in another. He continues. Then, in 141 Plato ends his thoughts about the one and says ‘Therefore the one in no sense is.’
In 143b, Plato says, ‘If a one is, ....’ Here, Plato has created an ‘if-statement.’ With this kind of statement, Plato shows his scientific abilities because he develops a new hypothesis and accepts its consequence. Alone, symbols can thus be called a simple hypothesis.
With the above if-statement, a new hypothesis is created and Plato starts afresh. At 160b, Plato comes to the consequences of his new hypothesis saying, ‘Thus, if there is a one, the one is both all things and nothing whatsoever, ...’ Then, he makes another hypothesis saying, ‘We have next to consider what follows, if the one is not.’ In 166b, Plato says, ‘If there is no one, there is nothing at all. If one is both all things and nothing, two different ones must exist. The first one is God, who has no parts, is not a whole, and thus cannot be known. The second one is the universe, which has parts and wholes and can be known.
Just about everything in Plato’s huge book deals with knowledge and morals related to the Intelligent Design. Plato’s creation theory is found in his Timaeus dialogue. His discussion of reincarnation is presented in the Phaedo dialogue. His discussion on negative thinking is found in his Sophist dialogue. On God, Plato’s most important dialogue is his Parmenides because he defines the ‘one’ in Abraham’s monotheism. In Parmenides, Plato also shows us how to develop symbols and give them meaning. To me, Plato is the first real scientist.
In Parmenides, Plato begins in 137c saying ‘if there is a one, of course, the one will not be many. Consequently, it cannot have any parts or be a whole.’ With no parts, the one has no beginning or end and is thus unlimited and has no shape. So, he says that the one cannot be anywhere and is neither in itself nor in another. He continues. Then, in 141 Plato ends his thoughts about the one and says ‘Therefore the one in no sense is.’
In 143b, Plato says, ‘If a one is, ....’ Here, Plato has created an ‘if-statement.’ With this kind of statement, Plato shows his scientific abilities because he develops a new hypothesis and accepts its consequence. Alone, symbols can thus be called a simple hypothesis.
With the above if-statement, a new hypothesis is created and Plato starts afresh. At 160b, Plato comes to the consequences of his new hypothesis saying, ‘Thus, if there is a one, the one is both all things and nothing whatsoever, ...’ Then, he makes another hypothesis saying, ‘We have next to consider what follows, if the one is not.’ In 166b, Plato says, ‘If there is no one, there is nothing at all. If one is both all things and nothing, two different ones must exist. The first one is God, who has no parts, is not a whole, and thus cannot be known. The second one is the universe, which has parts and wholes and can be known.
On negative thinking, Plato solves a problem that Socrates developed and caused a trial in Athens. This trial put Socrates to death because he was confusing the students of Athens. Socrates’ famous saying is, ‘I know only that I do not know.’ To solve Socrates’ knowledge problem, Plato focuses his thoughts on the word ‘not.’ He solves the problem in his Sophist dialogue at 257b. There, he says, 'When we speak of ‘that which is not,’ it seems that we do not mean something contrary to what exists but only something that is different.’ This saying is known as ‘Plato’s negative’ and allows us to identify new unknown symbols from known positive symbols
I suggest that all religions and all atheists study this dialogue, Plato’s scientific method, and the philosophies of symbolism. This suggestion is important because religions are teaching many falsities and atheists are trying to eliminate the symbol ‘one’ from all national languages.
I suggest that all religions and all atheists study this dialogue, Plato’s scientific method, and the philosophies of symbolism. This suggestion is important because religions are teaching many falsities and atheists are trying to eliminate the symbol ‘one’ from all national languages.
posted by George Shollenberger @ 11:43 AM
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