Do Chairs Exist?

[Brian37]

Don't get me wrong, I don't hate all of his ideas because of that one flaw, but it still was a huge flaw.

I love his Allegory Of The Cave, and his Apology. But his idea of "essence" was his biggest mistake. 

This is why I get a lot of flack today in saying that "philosophy" is outdated. It is important to know the history of philosophy for sure. But just like going from the Pony Express to PM on your computer, it is outdated. 

Plato could not have known back then, what we know now, that control groups and peer review were paramount. Any "experiments" back then were not about being objective, but merely appeal to be right. 

Plato was a double edge sword in reality. He most certainly advanced western thinking. But he still did not have the modern tools we do today.

I think criticizing Platonic philosophy on the basis of not having control groups or peer review is misguided. Plato wasn’t an experimentalist, he was a philosopher. 

Boru

Exactly my point. Back then, his mental masturbation was merely that. He got lucky with some of his good ideas and I give him credit for those.

But nobody today can, or should claim he had any modern understanding of science. And that is why I hate when I run into people who argue that philosophy is on par with modern science. 

I agree he was not an "experimentalist". And that is my point. But even today, just like arguing with Star Trek fans, I get blasted for telling people that Gene Roddenberry did not invent the cell phone.

Plato most certainly advanced western civilization. But his idea of "essence" still is causing problems in humanity in chasing the idea of perfection. If you want to call that philosophy, fine, but it was a bad postulation in any case.