Plural of eidos, referring to Platonic Forms or ideal essences of things in philosophy.
From Greek eidos meaning 'form,' 'shape,' or 'idea.' Central to Plato's theory that physical objects are imperfect copies of perfect, eternal Forms existing in a realm of pure ideas.
Plato's eide represent one of philosophy's most enduring puzzles: if there's a perfect Form of every concept, is there also a Form of imperfection, and what would that even mean?
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