TOPUS URANUS: BACKGROUND AND THEORY - PHILOSOPHY - 2024

Topus Uranus is a philosophical term used by Plato to refer to the world of ideas. The Greek philosopher distinguished between the material world, in which human beings live, and a world in which ideal existences were found.

The original term was "Hyperuránion topon", which means "place beyond the heavens". It was later, during the Middle Ages, when the expression "Topus Urano" began to be used to refer to this concept, although relating it to the Christian religion.

Source: By Lufke, via Wikimedia Commons

Plato's theory, which he explains with the metaphor of the Cave, held that the sensible world, the material, is only a reflection of the ideas existing in that place beyond the heavens. In the Topus Uranus, or Hyperuránion, it would be where the authentic existence of the perfect archetypes is presented.

The human soul cannot remember the Topus Uranus since, at birth, it loses virtue and enters a state of amnesia. For this reason, he can only distinguish, through his senses, the diffuse reflection of original and perfect ideas.

Background

One of the great questions addressed by philosophy from its very origin is the configuration of the world and how the human being can get to know it.

In the pre-Socratic era there were several theories on the subject, some affirming that it is impossible to know reality and others that pointed out that only what the human being contemplates is the real.

Plato, a student of Socrates, develops his own theory that opposes that of the sophists and skeptics. His conception of the world, influenced by Socrates, Heraclitus or Pythagoras, is dualistic. This means that it distinguishes between two realities: the one that the human being inhabits and the one of the perfect ideas that only can glimpse.

This supposes a change with respect to the aforementioned skepticism in the field of knowledge and about the currents that affirmed that the senses collect reality as it is, without there being any type of spiritual realm.

Heraclitus

Plato picked up the doctrine of Heraldry and adapted it to his own theory of the World of Ideas. Thus, he affirmed that physical reality is not permanent, but that everything changes constantly.

For Plato, this meant that it was not possible to get an authentic knowledge of physical reality, since the changes did not allow it.

Socrates

The importance of Socrates in Platonic thought is fundamental to understanding his work. At first, Plato began to spread the work of his teacher, but over the years some of his teachings began to vary.

In the field of Topus Uranos, or World of Ideas, the most important thing was the change from the Socratic concept to the so-called Platonic eidos. Plato transforms linguistic concepts into ontological ideas. Thus, he seeks the ultimate perfection in ideas.

The philosopher came to the conclusion that experience is subjective and therefore not absolutely real. Only absolute perfection could achieve that perfect reality.

From this premise, Plato stated that we only know because the perfect idea of ​​an object is in our mind, not because we perceive the object in question.

Sophists and Protagoras

In addition to the influences collected by Plato and incorporated into his Theory, there were also philosophical currents in ancient Greece which he opposed. Among them, that of Protagoras and that of the Sophists stand out.

The main difference is that Plato considered that it was possible to achieve knowledge, while the previous ones did not conceive this possibility.

Theory

Theory of Ideas

It is not possible to understand the concept of Topus Uranus without knowing the Theory of Ideas promulgated by Plato. For this, the principles are only understood through intelligence, understood as one of the powers of the soul.

As the philosopher pointed out in his work Phaedo, “what philosophy examines through the senses is sensible and visible; and what it sees for itself is invisible and intelligible. " It is to this vision of true knowledge that he gave the name of Idea.

This Theory is the basis of the philosophy of the Greek thinker and is developed throughout several different texts. In summary, it indicates that reality is divided into two worlds: the Sensible (or visible) and the Intelligible (or Ideas).

The first would be the one that can be captured through the senses. For Plato it is a changing world, with nothing remaining unchanged. For its part, that of Ideas would be the one where eternal and universal things are found, beyond time and space. Those ideas would inhabit the so-called Topus Uranus.

Topus Uranus

As indicated, the Topus Uranus would be the world of Ideas. In front of this one would find the material world, in which everything is a pale reflection of what is found in the Topus Uranus.

The material world, Sensible, would only be appearance, while that of Ideas would be the authentic and real existence. In the latter would be found the pure beliefs, the perfect and eternal archetypes.

The Topus Uranus, the "place beyond the heavens" (hyperuránion topon), would be found beyond time and space. In this place, the ideas would be found in a hierarchical order, from the simplest to the highest.

The fundamental idea would be that of good. Other important ones would be that of beauty, that of the one and that of being. In a lower hierarchy, there would be the idea of ​​opposites, which would explain the movement, justice, the good in politics and ideal numbers.

Plato pointed out that, around this Hyperuranium, the physical-celestial spheres, the cosmic soul and the souls of men would be found.

Reminiscence

The next question Plato asked himself was about human souls. His appearance in the Sensible World made him wonder why he couldn't remember the World of Ideas in its entirety.

To solve the question, the philosopher developed the Theory of Reminiscence. According to this, the soul reaches the Sensitive World for having lost virtue. This causes him to fall into the Sensitive World and suffer a trauma that causes Amnesia.

In this way, despite having previously known the Truth, once in the Sensible World he cannot remember it and only has a glimpse of what is in the World of Ideas.

Western Middle Ages

The Platonic concept of the Hyperuranion was recovered again by some thinkers in the Western Middle Ages. At this time, the word is Latinized, becoming called Topus Uranus (heavenly place).

The authors begin to identify this Platonic World of Ideas with the concept that describes God beyond the heavens. It would be the place from which it dominates and governs the whole world, being the first engine of existence.

References

1. Philosophy. Plato and the theory of ideas. Obtained from philosophia.mx
2. Wikiphilosophy. Uranus moles and the immortal soul. Obtained from wikifilosofia.net
3. Triglia, Adrian. The myth of Plato's cave. Obtained from psicologiaymente.com
4. Revolvy. Hyperuranion. Retrieved from revolvy.com
5. Partenie, Catalin. Plato's Myths. Retrieved from plato.stanford.edu
6. Cohen, Marc. The Allegory of the Cave. Recovered from faculty.washington.edu
7. Brickhouse, Thomas. Plate (427-347 BCE). Retrieved from iep.utm.edu