Plato named the ultimate good or virtue eudaimonia, bringing about Eudaimonism. Plato only gave emphasis on the intellectual aspect of mind. Not just thought His hostility towards doxa, theory of the forms, and perspective on reality were the central ideas that shaped Platos worldview and led him to be the great philosopher who is still revered today. Plus, you get to have your work done within hours, which means you can submit your assignment in time to beat tight deadlines. I have only today to submit to my tutor. The fact that he was a student of Socrates and a teacher of Aristotle leaves no questions about his competence. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. Underline the correct word in each sentence. However, there are differing opinions about whether beauty is a characteristic of Beauty itself, or that the Form and essence of Beauty are the same thing. Please let us know. 3. I believe Socrates states that everyone was born with a knowledge of right and wrong, he / she needed to experience situations where he / she needed to recall this knowledge. Third, I will provide an argument for why his response was unsuccessful. Plato would say that Beauty in itself is a real, active, perfect, and eternal essence that isnt just a characteristic of an object, but a quality it gains by interacting with the Form Beauty. What if ideas of justice and beauty are not Forms but ideas in people's minds that are passed along through generations. explains how we are able to identify and categorise the things we experience, we cannot always be certain of our senses, they are constantly changing and subjective, without forms in our everyday language, we wouldn't be able to communicate, forms of abstract ideas do not appear to come from the physical world, Plato encourages us to question what we thing we know, and this could be viewed as a healthy thing, Aristotle's theory that knowledge comes through experience seems more realistic, Aristotle argues idea comes from experience, not experience comes from the idea, Aristotle developed the 3rd man criticism- 'what causes the form of a cat', Aristotle offers alternative explanation of 4 causes, which seems much more realistic, theory of forms not empirically verifiable, so meaningless, may explain abstract ideas better, but Aristotle offers much more convincing explanation for physical objects, relies on a belief of innate ideas, which are hard to prove. This states that since the soul has all knowledge integrated, one recollects this knowledge through situations in an individuals life and use ones reasoning. What link, precisely is there Democracy 5.) Copyright 10. Although a few weaknesses present themselves in Plato 's argument, Plato presents a valid theory on how our minds can obtain knowledge. 'knowledge' of what perfectly straight It cannot be, because senses are non-eternal, and prone to error. Suppose that the two main divisions represent the visible and the intelligible parts of reality respectively. that we always have an idea first? This very basic illustration of the cave allegory services to describe the theories that follow. Education was meant for the upper and leisured class. These ideas or objects are universal in that they can be applied to a wide range of real objects to describe or characterize them. The dialogue is held between Glaucon, Platos brother, and Socrates. Please contact us at helpforassessment@gmail.com. The highest world is one above all these hypotheses and figures, and which one attains upon death. First is that results in quantitative research are less detailed. Plato explains the theory of recollection by first questioning what virtue is, then demonstrating the process through the questioning of a slave boy. Suppose Socrates managed to adequately prove the immortality and all knowing nature of the soul, his use of the slave boy interrogation as proof of recollection still remains problematic. The majority of the residents value this quality in me and seek me out when a difficult decision needs to be made. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thank you, Paul. And even if you should chance upon it, how will you ever know that it is the thing which you not know? (Platos Meno, 77). seem to have some vague idea that there are ultimate realities, If the issue is about objectivity and accuracy, then quantitative research is strong and more preferrable because, as we may already know, quantitative research explains phenomena according to numerical data which are analyzed by means of mathematically based methods, especially statistics. He himself belonged to the upper strata. Fifth, quantitative research is limiting. children, If people die without passing on their idea then In line with this, Plato went on to describe an educational system which focuses on educating the rulers with the aim of producing Philosopher Kings who would have their reason, desires, and will in virtuous harmony to help decide objectively whats best for the people of the state. These archetypes are the true nature of reality, or at least the little of it that we know. as unreliable as Plato Hence, data gathering in quantitative research is faster and easier. Every individual should serve the society according to his best abilities and capacities. copies and then use them in an analogy to Thus, the soul is immortal and passed through such a plane and retained knowledge, albeit unconscious and hidden, of the Forms. Since results are based on numerical responses, then there is a big possibility that most results will not offer much insight into thoughts and behaviors of the respondents or participants. Is the slave-boy actually recollecting forgotten knowledge? Timocracy 3.) Explain Plato theory of knowledge.10 marks Explain Plato's Analogy of the Cave. we are able to think. He would see the fire, and its intense light would initially blind him. Maybe, our senses are Does our experience of daily life and things such as relationships, learning and By now, you realize that understanding Plato is a tough job, to say the least. plato's theory of knowledge strengths and weaknesses. What is Realism in International Relations? Quantitative studies require extensive statistical analysis, which can be difficult to perform for researchers from non-statistical backgrounds. possibly be argued that we sense they belong together, Instinct, through our soul (immortal, seen GOODNESS is? Plato argues that things such as art and Republic (The ideal city) 2.) Note that this doesnt mean his reasoning was correct. Past exam questions for the AS Level OCR Philosophy exam. How would you like us to help you? This conclusion can be reached as both the city and the soul deal with the four main virtues of wisdom, courage, moderation, and justice. This is psychologically sound. Philosophy (Plato) Mind Map on Weaknesses of Plato's Idea of Forms, created by ellen.harrison on 03/01/2014. He uses things from our world to express the World of Forms - is that taking away from what he is saying? The visible world consists of shadows and reflections of physical things and the things themselves. In this essay, I will assess the strengths and weaknesses of emotions in two areas of knowledge, namely, religious knowledge and scientific knowledge. He was disgusted with the common occurrence of Greeks not thinking for themselves but simply accepting the popular opinion also known as doxa. Chapter 6: Freedom vs. Determinism Practice Quiz, {"ad_unit_id":"App_Resource_Leaderboard","width":728,"height":90,"rtype":"MindMap","rmode":"canonical","placement":2,"sizes":"[[[0, 0], [[970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90]]]]","custom":[{"key":"env","value":"production"},{"key":"rtype","value":"MindMap"},{"key":"rmode","value":"canonical"},{"key":"placement","value":2},{"key":"sequence","value":1},{"key":"uauth","value":"f"},{"key":"uadmin","value":"f"},{"key":"ulang","value":"en_us"},{"key":"ucurrency","value":"usd"}]}. You need to log in to complete this action! Is sense experience totally devoid of any worth? In Plato's analogy the cave, we see him try to show his beliefs about the forms through a story. He stated that we all have innate knowledge that tells us about the things we experience in our world. Strengths: Sets with similar terms Philosophical language and thought: Plato 35 terms HopeHapps Philosophy Chapter 6 34 terms The source of action is within the individual. He was a true philosopher as he was constantly searching for wisdom and believed questioning every aspect of life would lead him to the knowledge he sought. Those with strong appetites could produce more, thus were the Producers of the state. I conclude with comments on recent developments, and by drawing attention to a neglected aspect of Plato's distinction. For Socrates, the relationship between individual and collective virtue is that they are the same, as the virtues of the collective parallel those of the Individual. The proof of any other world other than the world of For Socrates there are two kinds of virtue; collective and individual. Or environmental stimuli? However, as you can see, he would first need to climb a steep incline to find the fire and the real objects, or Forms. Second, in terms of sample size. build our world view upon The problem, however, is how you know the concept of equality. Were you taught it? appearances, Argues that soul has some Such a king would have a moderate love for wisdom and courage to enforce that wisdom. Justice because they are absolute truths, Stops us from closing Encourages to think and use our intelligence rather than accepting things at face value Strengths: We all recognise the same essential elements in things. And if you find what you want, how will you ever know that this is the thing which you did not know? (Meno 80d). Bus tickets? Forms could just be ideas preserved in people's minds, Ideas of justice and beauty may not be On the other hand, Equality, as one of the (good) forms, is eternal and cannot change. __CONFIG_colors_palette__{"active_palette":0,"config":{"colors":{"eb2ec":{"name":"Main Accent","parent":-1}},"gradients":[]},"palettes":[{"name":"Default","value":{"colors":{"eb2ec":{"val":"var(--tcb-skin-color-4)","hsl":{"h":206,"s":0.2727,"l":0.01,"a":1}}},"gradients":[]},"original":{"colors":{"eb2ec":{"val":"rgb(57, 163, 209)","hsl":{"h":198,"s":0.62,"l":0.52,"a":1}}},"gradients":[]}}]}__CONFIG_colors_palette__, {"email":"Email address invalid","url":"Website address invalid","required":"Required field missing"}, __CONFIG_colors_palette__{"active_palette":0,"config":{"colors":{"f3080":{"name":"Main Accent","parent":-1},"f2bba":{"name":"Main Light 10","parent":"f3080"},"trewq":{"name":"Main Light 30","parent":"f3080"},"poiuy":{"name":"Main Light 80","parent":"f3080"},"f83d7":{"name":"Main Light 80","parent":"f3080"},"frty6":{"name":"Main Light 45","parent":"f3080"},"flktr":{"name":"Main Light 80","parent":"f3080"}},"gradients":[]},"palettes":[{"name":"Default","value":{"colors":{"f3080":{"val":"var(--tcb-skin-color-4)"},"f2bba":{"val":"rgba(11, 16, 19, 0.5)","hsl_parent_dependency":{"h":206,"l":0.06,"s":0.27}},"trewq":{"val":"rgba(11, 16, 19, 0.7)","hsl_parent_dependency":{"h":206,"l":0.06,"s":0.27}},"poiuy":{"val":"rgba(11, 16, 19, 0.35)","hsl_parent_dependency":{"h":206,"l":0.06,"s":0.27}},"f83d7":{"val":"rgba(11, 16, 19, 0.4)","hsl_parent_dependency":{"h":206,"l":0.06,"s":0.27}},"frty6":{"val":"rgba(11, 16, 19, 0.2)","hsl_parent_dependency":{"h":206,"l":0.06,"s":0.27}},"flktr":{"val":"rgba(11, 16, 19, 0.8)","hsl_parent_dependency":{"h":206,"l":0.06,"s":0.27}}},"gradients":[]},"original":{"colors":{"f3080":{"val":"rgb(23, 23, 22)","hsl":{"h":60,"s":0.02,"l":0.09}},"f2bba":{"val":"rgba(23, 23, 22, 0.5)","hsl_parent_dependency":{"h":60,"s":0.02,"l":0.09,"a":0.5}},"trewq":{"val":"rgba(23, 23, 22, 0.7)","hsl_parent_dependency":{"h":60,"s":0.02,"l":0.09,"a":0.7}},"poiuy":{"val":"rgba(23, 23, 22, 0.35)","hsl_parent_dependency":{"h":60,"s":0.02,"l":0.09,"a":0.35}},"f83d7":{"val":"rgba(23, 23, 22, 0.4)","hsl_parent_dependency":{"h":60,"s":0.02,"l":0.09,"a":0.4}},"frty6":{"val":"rgba(23, 23, 22, 0.2)","hsl_parent_dependency":{"h":60,"s":0.02,"l":0.09,"a":0.2}},"flktr":{"val":"rgba(23, 23, 22, 0.8)","hsl_parent_dependency":{"h":60,"s":0.02,"l":0.09,"a":0.8}}},"gradients":[]}}]}__CONFIG_colors_palette__. Having already mentioned Platos Forms of knowledge in passing, it is time to get an indepth look into the concept of Platos Forms. Plato's answer to the nature of the world was the two worlds scenario, where there is a material world which is all physical things we can touch, like ourselves as humans. Help for Assessment experts on Platos epistemology have come up with this helpful guide for the student who is stuck with their Plato TOK assignment. While Plato believed in reincarnation at the time of the middle period of his writings, it is to be noted that he changed his mind on some of his fundamental beliefs as indicated in his later works. For one, he believed that a happy soul is a moral soul, that is, one led by reason. If you really dont want to spend hours researching and writing such a winded essay, leave all the work to us. Also, quantitative research is a lot more complex for social sciences, education, sociology, and psychology. Agriculture and industry were completely neglected in Platos scheme of cultural education. Plato's theory of Forms encourages us to question in order to learn and not accept things at face value. He did not show how knowledge derived through dialectic method could be applied to practice. Knowing one can obtain knowledge motivates the mind to gain more knowledge. Thus, if the concept of Equality is changeless, the only way you can know it is if you have experienced it before in a plane where Equality as a Form is present, truthful, eternal, and changeless. Before publishing your articles on this site, please read the following pages: 1. Could we have So, what are some of the major strengths of quantitative research? You can't prove that the World of Forms does in fact exist. - Stephen Evans, "The theory that there is another world than this gives value and meaning to our present world." A theory of service delivery that focuses on the individual strengths instead of weaknesses. These include the theory of Forms, Platonic realism, ethics, philosophy of religion, and many more. With the dialogues of the Meno and Phaedo, Plato discusses the ideas of recollection and immortality of the soul in general. In his dialogue titled The Republic, Plato gives us another peek into his ontology and how he defines the various levels and types of knowledge in his divided line theory. More than just a chemical response? Dawkins' theory about evolution and the selfish gene, however, does not explain things like emotions. The writings of Plato are generally accepted to have been done in three distinct time periods: the early, middle, and late writings or dialogues, as they are known. difficulties of relativism and Drawing the line, we come up with something like this. To what extent do you agree? making progress begin to seem worthless? One of his fundamental works is the Republic. the costello family where are they now. This means that results in quantitative research may differ from real world findings. However, having been so long in the cave, the bright sunlight would dazzle him, perhaps even blind him temporarily. Something that I consider to be both a strength and a weakness in my social work career is my gentle and reassuring manner. It must be noted that a broader study can be made with quantitative approach, which involves more subjects and enabling more generalizations of results. Truth is a result of logical reasoning, but itself may result from ideas or Forms beyond conscious understanding. This knowledge, Plato believed, was gained when the soul resided in the invisible realm, the realm of The Forms and The Good. That is the concept of self-predication. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. As mentioned before, if virtue is x, then it can be taught (because knowledge can be taught), therefore virtue (x) is equal to knowledge. In the Meno, Plato justifies the possibility for ones mind to uncover knowledge. According to his theory, emotions would be a mistake since they are usually inefficient, and often only get in the way of genetic progress. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a10ff7d3e623ccf Plato argues that our immortal soul 'knows' these Forms as it existed in a realm of the Forms before coming to the world of appearances Argues that soul has some 'knowledge' of what perfectly straight is even though we have never actually seen it in this world This course traces the origins of philosophy in the Western tradition in the thinkers of Ancient Greece. Despite the application of an appropriate sampling plan, still representation of the subjects is dependent on the probability distribution of observed data. Starting with . In terms of data gathering, quantitative research allows researchers to use a pre-constructed standardized instrument or pre-determined response categories into which the participants varying perspectives and experiences are expected to fit. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. We have detected that Javascript is not enabled in your browser. Plato only gave emphasis on the intellectual aspect of mind. WebStrengths and Weaknesses of Social Exchange Theory. pass on to others, such as friends and Needles to say, in every phenomenon, there are always important points that cannot be fully captured by statistics or mathematical measurements. Plato encourages us to question what we thing we know, and this could be viewed as a healthy thing weakness empiricism Aristotle's theory that knowledge comes through experience seems more realistic weakness idea Aristotle argues idea comes from experience, not experience comes from the idea weakness 3rd man In his thinking, only a few are fit to rule on the basis of their virtue, education, and grasp of knowledge. But Plato did not show how an individual should apply his theoretical knowledge into practice. We have detected that Javascript is not enabled in your browser. Even though it was written in 380 BC, Platos and Socratess thoughts are still relevant in twenty first century. However, as his eyes adjust to it, he would see and realize that what is on the cave wall are mere shadows of other objects. Thus, knowledge is justified and true belief. implies that to know the Good is to wish to possess it, if this were case, no one who knows what is right would ever do wrong, Philosophy- Strengths and Weaknesses of PLATO, Strengths and Weaknesses of Aristotle's Theory, Aristotle 4 causes strengths and weaknesses, Hume's and Darwin's Critique's of the Teleolo, The Language of Composition: Reading, Writing, Rhetoric, Lawrence Scanlon, Renee H. Shea, Robin Dissin Aufses, John Lund, Paul S. Vickery, P. Scott Corbett, Todd Pfannestiel, Volker Janssen, Eric Hinderaker, James A. Henretta, Rebecca Edwards, Robert O. Self. This means, therefore, that quantitative research is better than qualitative research only in some respects, and vice versa. Kenneth Dorter, in "Weakness and Will in Plato's Republic", argues that Plato's texts present two, apparently incompatible, accounts of akrasia. Those with a strong reason/head are the Governing Rulers or Philosopher Kings, which are the intelligent, rational, and wise leaders of the community who make decisions on behalf of the others. Locke' motivations are theological as much as metaphysical. Third is on the issue of artificiality. Use the clue to complete the crossword puzzle. At times it seems obvious that Glaucon just has to agree with . Please read our. How does one realise the reality of the Forms. Thank you! Platos concept of God as the One, the Good, and the Light is intricately linked to the Sun in his allegory of the cave and the divided line. The chained prisoners start a guessing game to predict what image will come next. experiences we have here and now. In this essay I will show that Socrates answer to Meno 's paradox was unsuccessful. Plato Theory Of Knowledge: The Complete Guide For IB Students, The Totalitarian State As Imagined By Plato, How to Write a TOK Journal Assignment: The Complete Guide, 6 ToK Journal Aims Explained (Plus Important Suggestions), ToK Journal Rubric: Heres What You Need to Know, 7 ToK Journal Tips to Help You Write Comprehensive Entries, What Is The Word Count For A TOK Exhibition (Quick Answer), TOK Real Life Examples: Heres What You Need to Know, 5 Optional Themes in TOK (Theory of Knowledge) Explained, Do You Need a TOK Essay Writer? revolutionary thinker and 1st mind-body dualist. which he calls the 'Forms' of things. Surely the strongest and lasting importance of Plato's theory of ideas is that all knowledge and understanding requires universals. If he. Plato's expositions of elements of his own theory of knowledge, yet, the investigation of knowledge is indirect. According to the speaker, when does time hurry, and when does it slow down? Connective or motive aspect is-very important in our behaviour. The answer consists of the vocabulary word. They can hardly perceive there being any other reality than the one they can see, thus mistaking appearance for reality. Plato says there are four Forms for ethical values; these are Truth, Justice, Beauty, and Goodness. 806 8067 22 put points more clearly, Danger in that Plato so undermines In the story the first analogy that Plato makes uses the prisoners. This idea, or proposition, must be believed, true, and supported by good reasons in order to be considered knowledge. This paper discussed The Allegory of The Cave in Plato's Republic, and tries to unfold the messages Plato wishes to convey with regard to his conception of reality, knowledge and education. previous Form of the man, a copy of a Form could turn out to be an infinite Please read this article for more insight. Types of Variables in Research and Their Uses, Heideggers Existential Philosophy: Key Concepts, How to Attain a Meaningful Life? In fact, data gathering in quantitative research can be automated via digital or mobile surveys which, for example, allows thousands of interviews to take place at the same time across multiple countries. Does having ultimate Forms e.g. Plato explains the theory of recollection by first questioning what virtue is, then demonstrating the process through the questioning of a slave boy. 4. is even though we have never We begin with the Presocratic natural philosophers who were active in Ionia in the 6th century BCE and are also credited with being the first scientists. In the Meno, Plato believes that true beliefs becomes knowledge by the grounding true belief. Upon death, a soul passes through the higher plane and has knowledge of Forms in their pure state. Advantages. A perpetual conflict emanating throughout all mankind questions the significance of knowledge to human nature, regarding knowledges definition, acquisition, branches, and value. Everybody can take a break whenever _____ needs one. into a new body, Plato argues that our immortal soul 'knows' Would the slave boy have been able to arrive at the correct answer if Socrates had not drawn out the geometric figures? David C. Lee, St. John's College, University of Oxford. What does the word car refer to; the shadow on the wall or the real car illuminated by the fire? This virtuous individual had roles to play in society according to his/her greatest strengths. More about Platos Forms in a bit. Effective response should depend on the research problem rather than just a simple yes or no response. Why is this a weakness?, Aristotle said somthing that is perfect should be confiable to one subject which the form of good is not. to copy the form of a man, Origin of the Form of the Man is a copy of the plato influences later christian thought eg - unchanging, non-physical world vs unsatisfactory human world. It is assumed that because Socrates is asking questions and not explicitly teaching the slave boy anything that he has to be recollecting (106, Weiss). Plato has failed to realise the interrelation between volitional and intellectual aspects. Disclaimer 9. Chapter 6: Freedom vs. Determinism Practice Quiz. The earliest expressions of empiricism in ancient Greek philosophy were those of the Sophists. Plato needs to spell However, he believed that the creation was essentially an ordering of chaos into the four elements: fire, air, water, and earth. appearance is yet to be proved, with no evidence, how can There, Socrates . This is undemocratic. Want to create your own Mind Maps for free with GoConqr? If you have a topic in mind that youd like to cover, or you have an area of knowledge that youre struggling with and would like to understand, please dont hesitate to get in touch with us. Religionis a system of beliefs that consists of elements, which cannot be fully supported or accounted for by natural science. Using these dialogues as a backdrop, I will provide an analysis of the arguments and comment on the acquisition of virtue in Platonic dialogue. And if not, then how does virtue come to man, either by nature or some other way? A. Comenius. Good Luck! In this illustration, Beauty Itself is utterly and solely beautiful and exists apart from these other objects that partake of it. 1. In the highest level, it understands and views the state of being without the need of any figures. To what extent do you agree? Image Guidelines 5. In the case of the Laches, Meno, and Protagoras dialogues, the pretence is the knowledge of virtue, among other things. Socrates addresses this inquiry by questioning a person who claims to understand the terms meaning (Plato's Meno). Philosophy (Plato) Mind Map on Strengths of Plato's There must be a subject to apprehend this knowledge. Thus, knowledge is justified and true belief. Imagine that you have two line segments. mean reality is like an analogy? It comes immediately after the analogy of the Sun, where the freed prisoner has left the cave and seen the immediate world. Get Revising is one of the trading names of The Student Room Group Ltd. Register Number: 04666380 (England and Wales), VAT No. philosophical thinking. Oligarchy 4.) Performance & security by Cloudflare. He essentially gave us the definition of what we today know as philosophy. {"ad_unit_id":"App_Resource_Leaderboard","width":728,"height":90,"rtype":"MindMap","rmode":"canonical","placement":1,"sizes":"[[[1200, 0], [[728, 90]]], [[0, 0], [[468, 60], [234, 60], [336, 280], [300, 250]]]]","custom":[{"key":"env","value":"production"},{"key":"rtype","value":"MindMap"},{"key":"rmode","value":"canonical"},{"key":"placement","value":1},{"key":"sequence","value":1},{"key":"uauth","value":"f"},{"key":"uadmin","value":"f"},{"key":"ulang","value":"en_us"},{"key":"ucurrency","value":"usd"}]}, Who did what now?Ancient Greek edition. This article throws light upon the six major limitations of Platos theory. Our excursion will start with Platos definition of knowledge. Strengths and Weaknesses of Quantitative Research. Were glad you found the post helpful. Think of them as increasing levels of reality to truth to belief and finally to the purest state of being. Plato advocated education for culture. Ideas must have come from 6. Registered office: International House, Queens Road, Brighton, BN1 3XE. All you have to do is skip over to our services page and leave us your Platos theory of knowledge essay at affordable, student-friendly prices. existence - understood on different He spends countless hours every day researching and writing great content filled with expert advice on how to write engaging essays, research papers, and assignments. He stated that we all have innate knowledge that tells us about the things we experience in our world. Knowledge is unified, an organic whole. "The knower's perspective is essential in the pursuit of knowledge." The very basic stage, the traditional, is typical of subsistence systems and the final stage, the Age of mass consumption gears society into mass production . It should help you answer the question. Fourth is that in quantitative research, there is a possibility of an improper representation of the target population. Content Guidelines 2. Thales, Anaximander, and Anaximines made bold proposals about the ultimate constituents . There is much more to say about this remarkable man and his extensive influence on modern science, mathematics, and even religion. That way, the evils of the state fell upon one person, instead of everybody as would be the case in a democracy. 806 8067 22, Registered office: International House, Queens Road, Brighton, BN1 3XE, Plato's Cave/Theory of the Forms - can't think of any AO2? Knowledge is unified, an organic whole. Makes it seem like our lives have no Write a personal pronoun that agrees with the indefinite pronoun antecedent in the sentence. In relative vein, a quantitative approach endorses the view that psychological and social phenomena have an objective reality that is independent of the subject, that is, the knower or the researcher and the known or subjects are viewed as relatively separate and independent. Plato was quite clear that universal's cannot be understood as concrete particulars. In any case, Plato solved the problem of universals, an ancient philosophical question about whether the characteristics of objects, such as color and shape, exist beyond the objects themselves. Improper representation of the target population might hinder the researcher from achieving its desired aims and objectives.