Plato on Powers and Their Objects

The research focuses on the discussion of powers (dunameis) and their objects in Plato’s metaphysics and epistemology. The texts will mainly consist of Republic, Sophist, and Theaetetus.  In the Republic, Plato proposes the principle of “the individuation of powers” as the basis of his epistemological and ontological distinctions. The elaboration of this principle leads to the clarification of the participation and Platonic causation in Sophist and the distinction between Knowledge and belief in Theaetetus. I’m going to investigate relevant passages in detail and compare it with Aristotle’s and Neoplatonic interpretations. From an examination of this subject in Plato and his successors, this research is also supposed to contribute to the discussion of contemporary counterparts on related topics.