I argue that Plato thinks that a sunaition is a mere tool used by a soul (or by the cosmic nous) to promote an intended outcome. In the first section, I develop the connection between sunaitia and Plato’s teleology. In the second section, I argue that sunaitia belong to Plato’s theory of the soul as a self-mover: specifically, they are those things that are set in motion by the soul in the service of some goal. I also argue against several (...) popular and long-standing interpretations, namely, that sunaitia correspond to Aristotle’s idea of hypothetical necessity, that sunaitia are the ‘how’ in an explanation (whereas the true cause is the ‘why’), and that Plato’s causal views should be read through Aristotle’s fourfold schema. I conclude the article by surveying the history of sunaitia after Plato’s usage. (shrink)

Theory development is an important component of academic research since it can lead to the acquisition of new knowledge, the development of a field of study, and the formation of theoretical foundations to explain various phenomena. The contribution of qualitative researchers to theory development and advancement remains significant and highly valued, especially in an era of various epochal shifts and technological innovation in the form of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Even so, the academic community has not yet fully explored the dynamics (...) of AI in research and there are significant gaps in our understanding of how AI can be used most effectively in the context of theory building. The aim of this paper, which is driven by critical and conceptualization methodological dynamics, is to investigate the role of AI in the theory development process. As such, it critically evaluates the opportunities and limitations of AI in theory building, delivers a conceptual map of the nexus between AI and theory development, and presents key considerations for the use of AI in the creation of new theories or the advancement of existing ones. Though the necessity of AI tools in theory creation is contested given that the researchers' cognitive and evaluative skills are regarded as critical in this process, the value of AI in advancing theory is not to be underestimated. (shrink)

In the present paper, I argue that in order to be in a position to understand what the World Soul thinks about, we need first to answer the question of whether the universe perceives and if so, of what it perceives. I shall first (section ) lay out the main reasons for suspecting that the universe has perception and some possible objections against this view. I will then (section ) make a case for my claim that the universe has perception (...) on the basis of my ‘minimalist’ account of perception, which identifies four necessary and jointly sufficient conditions for having an instance of aisthēsis: 1) a body; 2) a soul; 3) affections which cause motion/change in the body and in the soul; 4) the cause of these affections. I will show that the universe composed of a World Body and a World Soul meets all four conditions. On the basis of this, I will claim that one can ascribe (self-) perception to the universe. Finally (section ), I will suggest that the universe perceives the polyhedra of its own body. (shrink)

Plato's philosophy is in line with the pre-Socratics, sophists and artistic traditions that underlie Greek education, in a new framework, defined by dialectics and the theory of Ideas. For Plato, knowledge is an activity of the soul, affected by sensible objects, and by internal processes. Platonism has its origins in Plato's philosophy, although it is not to be confused with it. According to Platonism, there are abstract objects (a notion different from that of modern philosophy that exists in another realm (...) distinct from both the external sensible world and the internal world of consciousness, and is the opposite of nominalism). An essential distinction for Plato in his philosophy is the theory of Forms, the distinction between perceptible but unintelligible reality (science) and imperceptible but intelligible reality (mathematics) Geometry was Plato's main motivation, and this shows the influence of Pythagoras. Forms are perfect archetypes whose real objects are imperfect copies. -/- DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.21536.05121. (shrink)

Filosofia lui Platon se înscrie pe linia presocraticilor, a sofiștilor și a tradițiilor artistice care stau la baza educației grecești, într-un cadru nou, definit de dialectică și teoria ideilor. Cunoașterea este pentru Platon o activitate a sufletului, afectată de obiectele sensibile, și de procesele interne. Platonismul își are originea în filosofia lui Platon, deși nu se confundă cu aceasta. Conform platonismului există obiecte abstracte (noțiune diferită de cea a filosofiei moderne care există într-un al tărâm distinct atât de lumea sensibilă (...) externă, cât și de lumea internă a conștiinței, și este opusul nominalismului). O distincție esențială pentru Platon în filosofia sa este teoria Formelor, distincție dintre realitatea perceptibilă dar neinteligibilă (știința) și realitatea imperceptibilă dar inteligibilă (matematica). Geometria a fost principala motivație a lui Platon, iar aceasta arată și influența lui Pitagora. Formele sunt arhetipuri perfecte ale căror obiecte reale sunt copii imperfecte. -/- DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.33183.43687. (shrink)