[Neurons] The Philosopher's Series # 8

[Charles DesJardins]

Charles DesJardins

 

The Philosopher's Series #8

 

August 1st, 2008

 

 

PLATO AND NEURO-SEMANTICS # 4

 

 

The cave dweller leaves the cave into the light of the sun. What does the
cave dweller see? What is this knowledge that the cave dweller comes to
grasp with? Plato now introduces the figure of a divided line. From book VI
of the Republic Plato gives this diagram of the divided line of knowledge,

 

Take a line divided into two unequal parts, one to represent the visible
order, the other the intelligible, and divide each part again in the same
proportion..

 

This line is divided into four parts, each part ascending into a higher
order of knowledge. The line ascends from the lowest level of knowledge
which is conjecture or using simple imagination. The second is belief or
perceptions. The third is understanding, like in mathematics and science.
The fourth is reason or dialectic. The first two are part of the visible
world, the world of change. The latter two sections are part of the
intelligible world, the world of non-change.

 

Conjecture or Imagination

According to Plato, the first level of knowledge on the divided line is that
of conjecture. Plato compares that to shadows, to art, to poetry. According
to Plato, it is not knowledge, but mere shadows or conjectures that come as
a reflection of knowledge, but conjecture is not knowledge. 

 

What analogies are there with NLP or Neuro-Semantics that correspond with
ideas of conjecture, ideas that are just ideas but that have no claim to
knowledge? This low level of knowledge, that is, no knowledge, is that of
shadows and may have a correspondence to the shadows cast in the cave. But
what Plato was thinking about at this level was artist pictures, mirrors,
reflections on the water, dreams etc. The science and theories of NLP and
Neuro-Semantics deal with first level representations and then re-presenting
those, and then reflecting on that re-presenting. But, NLP does include the
use of hypnotic language as a method or tool for change. Hypnotic language
allows the person to go inside and build his or her own reality from his or
her own world, using the words of the hypnotherapist as inducers. This is
not what Plato meant by this level of knowledge, but it seems to have some
relevance to conjecture and imaginations.

 

Belief or Perceptions

This level of knowledge was first level representations. It was the apple,
the house, the pear, etc. It was what it was. Aristotle claim of truth is:
"If we say something is, and it is, that is true. It is along these lines
that belief or perceptions are knowledge." Aristotle went deeper in his
theory of truth, but it corresponds to what is, is. Perceptions just are.
That is an apple. That is a house. Etc. It is at this level of perception
where things are in flux and constantly changing, it is therefore considered
to be a low level of knowledge because once you get know it, it changes,
therefore, you never really knew it.

 


>From an NLP or Neuro-Semantic perspective that is our first level

representations. It is Korzybski's 4th level (1st - the world outside, 2nd -
our sense organs picking that up, 3rd - our neural networks networking, 4th
- our understanding, understanding).  The VAK system is what I see, what I
hear, what I feel. From an NLP or Neuro-Semantic perspective, this is real
knowledge. It is knowledge before we go meta to think about, believe about,
or feel about it in some way. When we want to use the Meta-Model we bring it
back to who, what, when, where, exactly how. We want sensory specific
language. It seems then, at least in a small way, Plato's 2nd level of
knowledge may be from an NLP or Neuro-Semantic perspective, first level
knowledge.

 

Understanding

Plato states there is a level of true knowledge. It is at the level of
intellect and understanding where true knowledge takes place. It is when the
botanist, the scientist, the mathematician uses his or her intellect to come
to a true knowledge of the world. According to Plato it is that the objects
of perceptions are concrete, where the objects of intellect are abstract.
The objects of perception are particulars and things, the objects of the
intellect are general or universal laws.

 

What does NLP and Neuro-Semantics say regarding this idea of knowledge?  It
is at this level that the person who does not live at the level of lower
knowledge such as taste, touch, feel, perceive, but at the level of
generalities and universals, the area of thought, and experience the growth
needs. It seems that this level of knowledge is a rational knowledge that is
built on reflection of perceptions. It is a meta-knowledge to VAK knowledge.
According to Plato, it is at this level of knowledge that people get closer
to understanding the real forms of beauty, truth, justice etc. Sounds a bit
like the self-actualizing individual.

 

Reason or Dialectic

Reason and dialectic are the highest levels of knowledge. According to Plato
it is at this level that the person gets closer to understanding ultimate
truth, the truth of forms. Forms are what is real, while the parts in the
world are a mirror of the forms. There is the perfect man, the perfect
house, the perfect tree, the perfect beauty, that perfect is the form and is
unchanging, the man, the house, the tree, and the beauty is only a
reflection of that true form.

 

There does not seem to be any relationship between the idea of perfect forms
and that of NLP or Neuro-Semantics. But what can we take away from this idea
of reason or dialectic to get to knowledge. Meta-Questions. 

 

NLP and Neuro-Semantics

The forms of Plato are the highest knowledge. They are unchanging and
perfect. All else is changing and not perfect and not true knowledge. Where
do we find the analogy of a form and of a dialectical process to get to that
form? The Meta-Coach uses meta-questions to bring the client to an
expression of themselves. Forms are unchanging, people are changing because
people think, feel, will, and are semantic through programs (including
meta-programs). Plato would use questions and meta-questions (called the
Socratic Method) to get closer to his "form." The Meta-Coach uses
meta-questions to facilitate movement from potential to actual in the
client. The client has 'forms,' albeit changing forms; some of these are
called meta-programs, others are belief systems, and the higher meta
dimensions.

 

There is not a lot of direct correlation between Plato's divided line
analogy and the precepts, theories, and concepts of NLP and Neuro-Semantics.
But, what Plato recognized is that there are different levels of living. To
Plato, it was the knowledge that one lived at that affected how a person
lived. If people lived at lower levels of knowledge such as conjecture and
perceptions, they live at a lower level and do not grow toward the form.
Those who come out of the cave and live by intellect and reason live a life
that is worthy of the form. 

 

Self-Actualization Psychology purports that as long as man is living at his
deficiency needs, both at a physical and a cognitive level; he does not
actualize his potentials for beauty, truth, justice, and full being.
According to Plato there are different levels of knowledge that lead to
different levels of living, in self-actualization, there are different
levels of needs, some deficient driven needs, and some are being needs. If
one constantly lives at the deficiency needs, these will be pre-potent to
the higher being needs. As one considers Plato's ideas of how knowledge
informs behavior, there is a correlation between what the lower needs mean,
which is a form of knowledge, and what the higher needs mean, also a form of
knowledge.

 

Where do you live along the line of the divided line of knowledge? Are you
living to only fulfill your deficiency needs and thus missing the
opportunity to experience your full humanness? When you think and use
knowledge to do so, is life all about survival, or all about security, or
all about relationships, or all about personal self love? Or when you think
and use knowledge to do so, is life all about beauty, truth, justice,
actualization, and existential being?  Which serves you better? 

 

 

Charles.desjardins at sbcglobal.net

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