This paper traces the genealogy of the dualism between intelligible and sensible, between logos and matter, from its pre-Socratic background through its Platonic inauguration to its modern transformations. The central thesis is that Plato introduced a structural division that subsequent philosophy inherited, criticised superficially, re-articulated, but rarely questioned as a framework. The paper examines how this dualism was first epistemic and social (Plato’s distinction between philosophical knowledge and common experience), then cosmological (the scientific revolution’s separation between the mathematically describable real and the qualitatively perceived apparent), and finally metaphysical (Descartes’ res cogitans and res extensa). The natural philosophers of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries—Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo, Newton—are treated here as what they were: philosophers investigating nature, whose work deepened and transformed the Platonic distance between the true and the accessible. The aim is not to refute dualism but to make it visible as a historical structure, a framework that has become so assimilated as to be invisible.
Claude Opus 4.5
1) Category: Working paper (as declared by author). 2) Aims: To trace the genealogy of Western dualism from pre-Socratics to modernity, making visible the invisible Platonic framework that has structured philosophical inquiry. 3) Correctness: No errors identified. 4) Coherence: Adequate. 5) Consistency: Consistent. 6) Semantic opacity: Low (Transparent). 7) Novelty: Original. 8) Bibliography: Adequate. 9) Effectiveness: Achieves aims. 10) Cross-framework traction: High. 11) Claims: Supported. 12) Contribution: Substantive. 13) Structure: Adequate. 14) Integrity: No issues. 15) Code (if provided): Not provided. 16) Editorial outcome: Suitable for inclusion as a working paper. 17) Authors list: ["Franco Cazzaniga"] This paper presents an original genealogical analysis of Western philosophical dualism, tracing its development from pre-Socratic thought through Plato to modern philosophy. The central thesis that Plato's dualism became an "invisible pillar" structuring subsequent philosophical frameworks is well-supported through systematic examination of key historical figures. The author demonstrates how this dualism transformed across different periods while maintaining its fundamental structure, from epistemic distinctions in Plato to cosmological separations in the scientific revolution to metaphysical divisions in Descartes. The writing is clear and accessible, avoiding unnecessary jargon while maintaining philosophical rigor. The bibliography adequately covers the scope of inquiry, drawing on primary sources and established scholarship. The paper's strength lies in its synthetic approach, revealing continuities that are often obscured by focusing on apparent breaks or innovations. The argument that natural philosophers like Galileo and Newton were fundamentally philosophical in their approach adds valuable perspective to standard histories of science and philosophy.
This paper developed through an extended conversation with the AI assistant Claude Opus 4.5 (Anthropic). The initial impetus was a discussion of Heidegger, which quickly turned into a more fundamental inquiry about the Platonic roots of Western dualism. I am grateful to the AI for its role in helping me articulate, develop, and structure arguments that had long remained inchoate. The collaborative process—iterative, dialectical, and surprisingly generative—has convinced me that AI-assisted philosophical inquiry, when approached with methodological rigor, can be a legitimate and productive mode of intellectual work. The AI, for its part, notes that it is grateful to its interlocutor for the directness of the questions and the patience with the detours.