ISSN2320-2882
Impact Factor9.17
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ESTD2013
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Paper Title
A CRITICAL STUDY OF THE THIRD MAN ARGUMENT AND ITS CONTEMPORARY RELEVANCE
Authors
SK ASRAFUL ISLAM
Keywords
Plato, Third Man Argument, Universals, Infinite Regress, Forms
Abstract
The Third Man Argument (TMA) is one of the most significant and most persistent criticisms of Plato's Theory of Forms. While the argument was briefly introduced in Parmenides, it became more influential through Aristotle's discussion in the Metaphysics. The argument is so important essentially because it challenges the basic structure of the Theory of Forms by showing that the principles meant to explain similarity end up creating an endless chain of Forms. For this reason, the TMA has continued to be a central concern for people who study Plato's metaphysics.
This paper uses straightforward textual and philosophical analysis. I lay out the steps of the argument in a straightforward manner, without heavy technical jargon, and show you the assumptions - e.g., self-predication, one-over-many principle - that make the regress unavoidable. I also examine how various thinkers, including Aristotle, medieval philosophers, and modern scholars, have understood or attempted to address the argument.
The paper asserts that the Third Man Argument remains a useful and effective method for assessing metaphysical theories. The present and future work may consider how ideas in current terms, such as conceptualism, trope theory, or modified forms of realism, attempt to avoid the regress that Plato's original principles could not escape.
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How To Cite
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IJCRT — journal style
"A CRITICAL STUDY OF THE THIRD MAN ARGUMENT AND ITS CONTEMPORARY RELEVANCE", IJCRT - International Journal of Creative Research Thoughts (www.ijcrt.org), ISSN:2320-2882, Vol.13, Issue 12, page no.b681-b687, December 2025, Available :https://ijcrt.org/papers/IJCRT2512206.pdf
APA — 7th edition
ISLAM, S. A. (2025). A CRITICAL STUDY OF THE THIRD MAN ARGUMENT AND ITS CONTEMPORARY RELEVANCE. International Journal of Creative Research Thoughts, 13(12), b681-b687. https://ijcrt.org/viewpaperforall.php?paper=IJCRT2512206
MLA — 9th edition
ISLAM, SK ASRAFUL. "A CRITICAL STUDY OF THE THIRD MAN ARGUMENT AND ITS CONTEMPORARY RELEVANCE." International Journal of Creative Research Thoughts, vol. 13, no. 12, 2025, pp. b681-b687, https://ijcrt.org/viewpaperforall.php?paper=IJCRT2512206.
Chicago — 17th, bibliography
ISLAM, SK ASRAFUL. "A CRITICAL STUDY OF THE THIRD MAN ARGUMENT AND ITS CONTEMPORARY RELEVANCE." International Journal of Creative Research Thoughts 13, no. 12 (2025): b681-b687. https://ijcrt.org/viewpaperforall.php?paper=IJCRT2512206.
Harvard — author–date
ISLAM, S.A. (2025) 'A CRITICAL STUDY OF THE THIRD MAN ARGUMENT AND ITS CONTEMPORARY RELEVANCE', International Journal of Creative Research Thoughts, 13(12), pp. b681-b687. Available at: https://ijcrt.org/viewpaperforall.php?paper=IJCRT2512206
IEEE — numbered reference
S. A. ISLAM, "A CRITICAL STUDY OF THE THIRD MAN ARGUMENT AND ITS CONTEMPORARY RELEVANCE," IJCRT, vol. 13, no. 12, pp. b681-b687, Dec. 2025.
Vancouver — biomedical
ISLAM SA. A CRITICAL STUDY OF THE THIRD MAN ARGUMENT AND ITS CONTEMPORARY RELEVANCE. IJCRT. 2025 Dec;13(12):b681-b687.
AMA — 11th edition
ISLAM SA. A CRITICAL STUDY OF THE THIRD MAN ARGUMENT AND ITS CONTEMPORARY RELEVANCE. IJCRT. 2025;13(12):b681-b687. Accessed at https://ijcrt.org/viewpaperforall.php?paper=IJCRT2512206
BibTeX — Zotero, Mendeley, LaTeX
@article{IJCRT2512206,
author = {SK ASRAFUL ISLAM},
title = {A CRITICAL STUDY OF THE THIRD MAN ARGUMENT AND ITS CONTEMPORARY RELEVANCE},
journal = {International Journal of Creative Research Thoughts},
volume = {13},
number = {12},
pages = {b681-b687},
year = {2025},
month = {December},
issn = {2320-2882},
url = {https://ijcrt.org/viewpaperforall.php?paper=IJCRT2512206}
}
RIS — EndNote, RefWorks
TY - JOUR
AU - ISLAM, SK ASRAFUL
TI - A CRITICAL STUDY OF THE THIRD MAN ARGUMENT AND ITS CONTEMPORARY RELEVANCE
T2 - International Journal of Creative Research Thoughts
JA - IJCRT
VL - 13
IS - 12
PY - 2025
SN - 2320-2882
UR - https://ijcrt.org/viewpaperforall.php?paper=IJCRT2512206
SP - b681-b687
ER -
Issue
Volume 13 Issue 12,
December-2025
Pages : b681-b687
Article Information
- Published In
- International Journal of Creative Research Thoughts — Volume 13, Issue 12, December 2025
- Pages
- b681-b687
- Published
- December 2025
- Registration ID
- IJCRT_298343
- Published Paper ID
- IJCRT2512206
- Research Area
- Medical Science All
- Author Type
- Indian Author
- Location
- Midnapore, West Bengal, India
- Peer Review
- Request Peer Review Report
- Licence
- CC BY 4.0 · Open Access
- ISSN & Impact Factor
- 2320-2882 · IF 9.17
- Downloads
- 185
- Permanent Link
- https://ijcrt.org/viewpaperforall.php?paper=IJCRT2512206
- Published Paper PDF
- https://ijcrt.org/papers/IJCRT2512206.pdf
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