Platonism

Ancient Greek philosophy emphasizing eternal Forms or Ideas as true reality beyond material world appearances. Plato taught that physical phenomena are imperfect copies of perfect Forms accessible through reason and philosophical contemplation. This tradition sees souls as immortal beings temporarily embodied, seeking return to divine realm through wisdom, virtue, and philosophical understanding. Platonism profoundly influenced Christian, Islamic, and Jewish thought through its vision of transcendent reality knowable through intellectual and spiritual ascent from material illusion to eternal truth.