Theory of Perception in the “Theaetetus” and “Timaeus” of Plato

Abstract

In this article an author discusses Plato’s doctrine of sense perception and offers its interpretation as a united consistent theory based on the texts of two dialogues ‒ “Theaetetus” and “Timaeus”. In the beginning of the study the author analyzes two ways of interpretation of Plato's theory of perception in “Theaetetus”. According to the first method, this theory is a paraphrase of the theory of Protagoras; according to the second, it belongs to Plato himself. The author of the article adheres to the second point of view and tries to show that “Timaeus” provides the necessary context for interpreting the theory of perception set forth in “Theaetetus”. As a result of the study the author comes to the following conclusions: 1) there are direct references to the “Timaeus” in the text of “Theaetetus”, in which the theory of perception is given in mathematical (Pythagorean) interpretation; 2) the mathematical interpretation of the process of perception is a necessary addition to the description of perception in “Theaetetus”, which uses the concepts of measure and proportionality in the explanation of the process of perception; 3) and finally, the mathematical interpretation of the theory of perception does not contradict Plato’s thought in “Theaetetus”.