Analogy of The Divided Line - Epistemological Meaning

Epistemological Meaning

Plato holds a very strict notion of knowledge. For example, he does not accept expertise about a subject (the Gorgias,482d), nor direct perception (the Theatetus), nor true belief about the physical world (the Meno) as knowledge. For knowledge, he also requires philosophical understanding of the relevant Ideas (Forms), as a basis for proper justification at all other levels of the Divided Line. Thus, for this reason, in most of the "early, Socratic" dialogues, Socrates denies knowledge both to himself and others.

For the first level, "the world of becoming and passing away," Plato expressly denies the possibility of knowledge. Constant change never stays the same, therefore, properties of objects must refer to different Ideas at different times. Note that for knowledge to be possible, which Plato believed, the other three levels must be unchanging. The third and fourth level, mathematics and Ideas are already eternal and unchanging. However, to ensure that the second level objective, physical world is also unchanging, Plato, in the Republic, Book 4 introduces axiomatic restrictions that prohibit both motion and shifting perspectives.