Platonic epistemology

In several dialogues by Plato, the character Socrates presents the view that each soul existed before birth with the Form of the Good and a perfect knowledge of Ideas.

In The Republic, these concepts were illustrated using the metaphor of the Sun, the analogy of the divided line, and the allegory of the cave.

In short it says that all that we know already comes pre-loaded on birth and our senses enable us to identify and recognize the stratified information in our mind.

In the Republic (VI 507b-509c), Plato's character, Socrates, uses the Sun as a metaphor for the source of "intellectual illumination," which he held to be The Form of the Good.

It starts with the eye, which Socrates says is unusual among the sense organs in that it needs a medium, namely light, in order to operate.

Analogously, for intelligible objects The Form of the Good is necessary in order to understand any particular thing.

Only by taming and controlling the two horses can the charioteer ascend to the heavens and enjoy a banquet of divine knowledge.