Landry, Elaine
(2023)
Plato was Not a Mathematical Platonist CUP Element.
Elements
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CUP.
Abstract
In this Element, I will argue that Plato was not a mathematical Platonist. My arguments will be based primarily on the evidence found in the Republic’s Divided Line analogy and in Book 7. I will present Plato’s view as it develops in the text, which, while perhaps not as reader-friendly as one might like,emphasizes the significant changes that Plato intends to be surprising, even shocking, to his reader – changes that are often missed in the interpretative
literature. First, I will offer what I take to be an accurate translation of the text, before critically considering which claims remain the same and which change,
especially as we transition from the Divided Line to Book 7. Finally, I will bring these claims together into a consistent picture of Plato’s view of mathematics,
demonstrating that he was not a mathematical Platonist.
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