Another trend of idealism, which regards reality to be transcendental, is mainly due to the philosophers such as Plato and Kant, According to the theory of ideas, advocated by Plato, the objective reality exists, but it is not experienced by us. Whatever we perceive is only ‘appearance’. Thus, according to the metaphysical part of the doctrine, the word ‘cat’ means a certain ideal cat, ‘the cat’ created by God, and unique. Particular cats partake of the nature of the cat, but more or less imperfectly, it is only owing to this imperfection that there can be many of them. ‘The cat’ is real; particular cats are only apparent.[1] Thus whatever man knows is only an apparent thing.
Footnotes