1. What is the main question (or set of related questions) the Timaeus attempts to answer?
2. Has the cosmos/ world always existed? (see p.17) What rationale does Plato give for his answer?
3. On p.17, Plato writes that "our world must necessarily be the likeness of something."
(a) What does this mean?
(b) What reason(s)/ argument(s) does Plato give for this assertion?
4. Why and how does the creator-god (the "Demiurge") create the universe? (See especialy pp. 19-20; 54-56)
5. What is the relationship between time and the material world? (See 29-30)
6. What is the human soul, according to Plato? (36-37)
7. How did humans come into existence? (36-37)
8. Plato thinks there are two kinds of cause at work in the universe (44). What are they?
* 9. For what purpose does the god give humans eyesight? (45) *
10. What is the "Receptacle"? (And how is it related to earth, air, fire and water?)
* 11. What is Plato's argument for the existence of the Receptacle? *
12. What is Plato trying to accomplish with all those triangles?
Physiology and Medicine
13. Why is blood red? (100)
14. What occurs in natural growth and development? in (natural) death?
15. According to Plato, what (in general) is disease? (102-103)
16. How do psychological diseases (in Plato's terms "diseases of the soul) arise?
* 17. Why does Plato say "No one is willingly bad" (109)? Do you think he is right? *