Final answer:
The statement that Plato believes in objective and universal moral truths is true, based on his theory of Forms. He viewed these moral truths as eternal and unchanging, much like mathematical truths, accessible through reason and contemplation rather than sensory experience.
Step-by-step explanation:
According to Plato, there are indeed objective and universal moral truths. This is true based on his theory of Forms, which suggests that abstract concepts like goodness, beauty, justice, and wisdom exist in an eternal and unchanging state beyond the physical world we experience through our senses. For Plato, these Forms were the most real and the most true, they are the ultimate source of knowledge and morality. The material world, in contrast, is a shadowy and imperfect representation of these eternal truths.
In the realm of ethics, Plato believed that just as there are mathematical truths that are universally recognized and understandable through reason, such as 2+3=5, there are also moral truths that can be clearly defined and understood universally. The idea that actions can be considered objectively good if they align with the Form of the Good is central to his philosophy. Moral knowledge, therefore, comes from understanding these Forms through reason and intellect rather than through the senses or relativistic thinking.
Against the background of ethics, Plato's contemplation on politics and telos (goal or purpose) indicates his advocacy for an objective basis of morality, asserting that values can be assessed based on whether they fulfill a goal or purpose. Objective moral reasoning is thus possible, according to Plato's philosophical framework. So, when it comes to objective and universal moral truths, Plato's perspective is clear: they exist as Forms, accessible to us through the rigorous exercise of reason.