Theory of ideas
In Plato’s theory of ideas, two streams flow together: Pythagorean intuition of harmony and perfection, and Permenides’s changeless reality.
Pythagorean theory Known for the right-angled triangle theorem, Pythagoras showed that you can understand shapes through numbers. He also proved that musical harmony can also be expressed through numbers. And since numbers are mental constructs, shapes are properties of physical matter, and music is representation of beauty, he proved the fundamental connection between mind-matter-beauty. And thus, he concluded that all things are essentially numbers.
Permenides theory of changeless reality When you think, you think of something; when you use a name, it must be the name of something. Therefore both thought and language require objects outside of themselves. And since you can think of a think or speak of it anytime, whatever can be thought of or spoken of must exist all the time. Consequently, nothing really ever changes since change requires things to come into being and cease to be so.
When you think, you think of something; when you use a name, it must be the name of something. Therefore both thought and language require objects outside of themselves.
The fault in this line of thinking is that we think of things and name all the time that doesn’t exist. If it was so imagination and hallucinations will have no place in reality. The idea of imagination or hallucinations must be abandoned in order for this argument to be accepted.
In Plato’s world, Ideas are perfect objects (at least the representation of a particular construct), of which all real objects are imperfect copies. Thus, for example, there is an Idea of Cat. This Idea of Cat, of course, never dies, not can it change in anyway. This theory, embodies Permewnides’s metaphysics: There is a real of Ideas, the deepest reality, which is eternal and unchanging, and provides source of all we can name or speak of. And it builds upon Pythagoras: we come into close contact with the world of eternal, perfect Ideas when we deal in mathematics concepts like numbers, or Platonic solids.
In the same spirit, I could argue that there is an Idea of Self - a best possible version of self under the ideal circumstances. Daily we strive to be as close to the Ideal Self as possible, but reality (temptations, laziness, anger) gets in the way. We compromise and settle for less than what we’re capable of.
This is also known as cognitive dissonance. We know what’s right or wrong. We know what’s good for us. But during the heat of the moment or at the time of execution, we either cave-in to the easier choices or totally forget that we could do better.