The ontology of images in Plato’sTimaeus

In the Timaeus, Plato offers an account of the sensible world in terms of ‘images’ of forms. Often, images are taken to be particulars: either objects or particular property instances (tropes). Contrary to that trend, I argue that, roughly, images are general characteristics that are immanent in Plato’s receptacle. Moreover, I distinguish between simple images, which just are general characteristics, and complex images, which are bundles of general characteristics. Overall, then, the entire sensible world can be analysed in terms of immanent general characteristics, the receptacle, and forms, and fundamentally, there is no place for particulars in the sensible world. I end by arguing that my interpretation of the ontology of images is compatible with Timaeus’ construction of sensible entities from triangles.