According to Plato, the Demiurge, or godhead of creation, crafted a perfect version of everything. We mere mortals constantly try to discover through iterative exploration.
Consider a stool. Should it have three legs? Four? Seven? Should it be solid or collapsible? Should the seat be hollowed or flat? In short, is there a perfect or paradigmatic stool?
Plato discusses the concept of paradigm in the Timaeus dialogue. It is contended that there exists, in concept at least, an eternal model of perfection for everything. All of humanity’s discoveries are attempts to reach this goal.
This, Plato argues through Timaeus’ words, all arises through a very similar idea of origination to the Christian one. It is inconceivable to him, that a universe of cause and effect was not begun by a sentient being. This is the demiurge’s role. In short the universe, and all it contains, must have had a cause.
In short, Plato contends, the best we can do is strive for perfection.
Be sure to see also François-André Vincent’s painting of the choosing of what would become a lasting paradigm – Xeuxis Choosing his Models for the Image of Helen from the Girls of Croton. Bettany Hughes tackled the nature of the iconic imagery around Helen of Troy in a fantastic book and TV documentary.
Karen Armstrong tells us that these beliefs mean that when we look at something, anything, we are looking at a manifestation of divinity, “every earthly reality is only a pale shadow of its archetype, the original pattern, of which it is simply an imperfect copy.”
Bibliography
The Platonic Paradigm in Timaeus
A Short History of Myth, Karen Armstrong, Canongate, 2005
This article was posted by Ronan McDonnell on
Friday, May 20th, 2011 at
12:23.
It is archived in Short Post and tagged Culture, greece, History, Myth, mythology, philosophy, plato, Religion.
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