Plato’s Analogy of The Divided Line The Four Stages of Cognition
Source of Perception	Things Perceived	Modes of Perception	Classes of Perception
THE GOOD Author and governor of the intelligible order, of the world of reality	Forms (Reality, justice, beauty, truth, the material universe)	Reason (Dialectic)	KNOWLEDGE
	Mathematical Objects (Hypotheses)	Understanding (As in mathematical thought)
THE SUN Author and governor of the visible order, of the world of appearances	Physical Objects (All objects perceptible by the senses)	Belief (Accepting sensory perceptions as givens)	OPINION
	Images of Physical Objects (Shadows, reflections, illusions)	Imagination (Supposition)