Platonism (Noun)
Meaning
(philosophy) the philosophical doctrine that abstract concepts exist independent of their names.
Classification
Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents.
Examples
- The philosopher's adherence to platonism led her to argue that numbers and geometric shapes have an objective existence, regardless of human perception or language.
- In his theory of forms, Plato laid the groundwork for platonism, which posits that abstract concepts like justice and beauty exist independently of their physical manifestations.
- The mathematician's platonism was evident in his belief that mathematical truths are discovered, not created, and that they exist in a realm beyond human thought.
- Critics of platonism argue that it relies too heavily on intuition and fails to provide a clear explanation for how abstract concepts interact with the physical world.
- The philosopher's rejection of platonism led him to develop a nominalist theory, in which abstract concepts are seen as mere labels with no independent existence.