“—my tentative analogy between mathematical objects and supernatural entities”
By the Chair of Jacob Klein! That part. Right there. No. The Eide are not that. The Eide are what thinking thinks about, the Forms (Eide) the Mind (Nous) Shines (phaino) Upon. They are “seen” only in the light of the intellect. Supernatural entities—I guess you mean ghosts or souls or such—are not. . .ack! English sucks sometimes. . .
This is very difficult, as English doesn’t have good terms to equal the Greek. German might be better. WTF. Ghosts and souls are not objects of the intellect, people assert they are things, albeit not like the things of phusis (nature).
Actually, this isn’t really the best place to discuss Plato—maybe it would be better to just refresh yourself with Meno & Parmenides, but since you seem interested in physics and number, maybe go with Timaeus.
Surely it is clear however, if one is going to groove with this beat, that mathematical entities are grasped by thought, or revealed purely by thought, or are phenomena (with that root in phaino) of pure intellect; they do not “go bump in the night” nor are they “reincarnated.”
@mtraven
“—my tentative analogy between mathematical objects and supernatural entities”
By the Chair of Jacob Klein! That part. Right there. No. The Eide are not that. The Eide are what thinking thinks about, the Forms (Eide) the Mind (Nous) Shines (phaino) Upon. They are “seen” only in the light of the intellect. Supernatural entities—I guess you mean ghosts or souls or such—are not. . .ack! English sucks sometimes. . .
This is very difficult, as English doesn’t have good terms to equal the Greek. German might be better. WTF. Ghosts and souls are not objects of the intellect, people assert they are things, albeit not like the things of phusis (nature).
Actually, this isn’t really the best place to discuss Plato—maybe it would be better to just refresh yourself with Meno & Parmenides, but since you seem interested in physics and number, maybe go with Timaeus.
Surely it is clear however, if one is going to groove with this beat, that mathematical entities are grasped by thought, or revealed purely by thought, or are phenomena (with that root in phaino) of pure intellect; they do not “go bump in the night” nor are they “reincarnated.”