Bk 1 - Chp 1.1 - Plato's Demiurge

In what work does Plato write about the Demiurge?

' Timaeus' - c.360BC

What was the Demiurge according to Plato?

He believed that the world was created by a god called the Demiurge.

What does Plato mean when he applies the word 'good' to the Demiurge?

He can be judged in comparison with the Form of the Good. He is not in any sense 'goodness itself' or the 'source of all goodness' but is a being which can be measured against the external standards of the Forms.

According to Plato, how did the Demiurge create the world?

He fashioned it out of material that was already there but was a shapeless mess before he began to work on it.

What does the name 'Demiurge' come from?

It comes from the Greek word for craftsman or workman.

What does Plato talk about in his work Timaeus?

The Demiurge is good and desires what is best for humanity. He tries to make the universe as well as he can but is restricted by his materials and so the final result will never be perfect.