Ancient philosophy. Plato and his doctrine of God

Plato acknowledged the existence of a supreme God by identifying it with the idea of ​​good, higher than nothing can exist, since it itself stands above every being, serves as the last cause and initially everything else, and is not conditioned by some other more important idea or beginning. But what is this distinct good? Plato expresses his view in poetic form by comparing the idea of ​​good in the kingdom of ideas with the sun and the physical world.

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As the sun is the cause of the movement, and it is not only the cause of things being visible but also of the fact that they originate and grow, so the good has such power and beauty that it not only serves the soul as a reason of knowledge, but at the same time gives the truth and what is the subject of knowledge; and as the sun is neither seen nor seen as something separate, but it is much higher and determines the visibility and the visible things, so good is not only knowledge but not just truth, but it is over them both; they are not good in their entirety, but are only part of the idea of ​​good. This idea of ​​the good, therefore Plato calls God or the Demiurg-creator by attributing to him the qualities of "good", heavenly father, "all-righteous." God is the unconditional, the foremost of every being and knowledge, the absolute. It is erected above all else, not only in its degree, but in its different nature. That is why knowledge about it is quite different from the knowledge of other ideas. Indeed, long-term dialectical thought is needed to reach this highest knowledge, but this highest prize can not be achieved by human effort alone, but only a little "divine natures" reveals this knowledge, unexpectedly, suddenly, as an authoritative, enlightening enlightenment for the most sublime and great what a person can be accessed. Indeed, science is preparing the way for him, however, whether this time will lead to the desired goal, depends not on the power of man, and when this happens, it seems almost like a blessed revelation (though Greek does not yet know the word "grace") the Revelation will be given.

This last and the highest knowledge, without which all the rest of knowledge has no purpose - because also justice and other virtues can only be obtained through it - is factual, despite all preliminary efforts, ultimately an imminent - could be say: a lightning-luminous intuition that is over-conscious, ie of a religious nature. Here is revealed Plato's deepest inner experience and, at the same time, his deepest wisdom: that on the highest and last, the inexpressible for the mortal man, which he can only contemplate with a guess, the last word has not the pure science but the faith, religion. Indeed, science prepares the path to the goal and does not deny the last word. The world soul, according to Plato's teachings, is this mediating, unifying link between reason and substance, between spirit and matter. It forms a mixture of one and the other without completely exhausting either. The Heavenly Lights are formed by the mixture of the spiritual soul-soul of the world. That is why the world, according to Plato, is a living, living being. It is divided into two rounds (outer / inner ).

The outer one is formed by the fixed, outermost stars, and the inner is formed by the moving stars-the planets. The earth is in the center of the world. It is spherical and immobile. Above it lies the sphere of the moon, then the other planets and the sun, and at the top or farthest from the center are the still stars. The birth of living beings has become so that ideas can be embodied and realized. The angels and the demons created by the fiery element are the highest among the living creatures, and under them are the mortal living creatures that the man first created.