THE CONCEPT OF PLACE IN PLATONIC ONTOLOGY

Abstract

In Platonic ontology, all beings, both the visible or physical and the invisible or metaphysical ones, are located somewhere. Why however does Plato attribute such importance to the concept of place and in what specific way should we exactly consider this need in general of Plato to locate all beings without exception in a certain place? This is the main question which is elaborated in this paper. Through the attempt to give an answer to it, that which is in essence being sought, is to make it evident that, for Plato, “Being” and “place” are concepts inseparable from each other, and that the general concept of place cannot be identified with physical, geometric space.

Keywords

• Plato
• visible
• invisible
• place
• Being
• Ideas
• somewhere