@Reconstructo,
Plato's
theory of Forms or
theory of Ideas[1][2][3] asserts that non-material abstract (but
substantial) forms (or
ideas), and not the material world of change
known to us through sensation, possess the highest and most fundamental kind of reality.
[4] When used in this sense, the word
form is often capitalized.
[5] Plato says that these Forms are the only true objects of study that can provide us with genuine knowledge.
[6] Plato spoke of Forms in formulating
his solution to the
problem of universals.
Plato postulated a world of ideal Forms, which he admitted were impossible to know. Nevertheless he formulated a very specific description of that world, which did not match his metaphysical principles. Corresponding to the world of Forms is our world, that of the mimes, a corruption of the real one. This world was created by the Good according to the patterns of the Forms. Man's proper service to the Good is cooperation in the implementation of the ideal in the world of shadows; that is, in miming the Good.
The term
mythology can refer to either the study of myths or a body of myths.
[1] For example,
comparative mythology is the study of connections between myths from different cultures,
[2] whereas
Greek mythology is the body of myths from
ancient Greece. The term "myth" is often used
colloquially to refer to a false story;
[3][4] however, the academic use of the term generally does not refer to truth or falsity.
[4][5] In the study of
folklore, a myth is a sacred narrative explaining how the world and humankind came to be in their present form.
[5][6][7] Many scholars in other fields use the term "myth" in somewhat different ways.
[7][8][9] In a very broad sense, the word can refer to any traditional story.
[10]
