episteme (επιστημη)

(Language: Greek)

Short Description: knowledge

Long Description: knowledge, scientific knowledge of that is unchanging and necessary, e.g. the Platonic Forms; since episteme is regarded as a certain knowledge of reality, the objects of doxa (opinion) cannot be assigned to episteme; for Proclus, the task of science is the recognition ( gnosis) of causes, and only when we recognize the causes of things do we say that we know them ( Elements of Theology 11); science, or scientific knowledge ( epistemonike gnosis), depends on the synthesing power of mind, but ‘intellect ( nous) is the proper spectator of the Forms, because it is the same nature as them’ ( In Parm.924.32-37).

Sources: The Golden Chain: An Anthology of Platonic and Pythagorean Philosophy, by Dr. Algis Uždavinys