Figure - Philosophical Concept | Alexandria
Figure: An enigmatic construct, Figure represents more than mere shape or form; it embodies a symbolic presence, a numerical value, or a rhetorical device, perpetually shifting in meaning according to context and intention. What we perceive as fixed is often, upon closer inspection, surprisingly fluid.
The concept of Figure echoes through history, with roots stretching back to antiquity. The earliest written references appear in ancient Greek philosophical texts, where "schema" (Figure) denoted the form or shape of an argument, particularly in Aristotle's Rhetoric (c. 350 BCE). Plato, a key icon of philosophy, explored how ideal Forms (Figures) underpin reality. Numbers as Figures representing value were also central to early mathematics in Babylon (c. 1800 BCE), where clay tablets reveal sophisticated numerical systems influencing everything from trade to astronomy; these numbers form patterns, Figures, that undergird our understanding of reality. Consider the paradox of Zeno (around 450 BCE), which is not just a philosophical thought experiment but also a test of logical and mathematic values.
Over time, the interpretation of Figure has broadened, evolving from purely mathematical and rhetorical applications to encompass broader cultural and symbolic meanings. Renaissance artists used Figure to represent the human form in idealized ways, reflecting a renewed interest in classical aesthetics and naturalism. The rise of symbolic interpretation during the medieval period and later the Romantic era imbued Figures with deeper, often allegorical significance; for example, figures in Dante's Inferno (1320’s) are not merely characters but moral representations of sin and virtue. Cognitive science may shed some light on how humans process Figures using heuristics that create unfair bias in decision making when we have to make choices about complex issues such as equity vs equality. Ethical paradox of the trolley problem variations shows that Figures are not always self-evident, and that one can use a logic test to make a moral decision. Moreover, we often encounter Figure as a rhetorical construct in ethics of persuasion when we are told that something is one way rather than another, and that this rhetorical device has moral imperatives and utilitarianism associated with it.
Today, Figure resonates in contemporary culture in myriad ways: in the visual arts, in statistics and data analysis, and in the complex algorithms that underpin artificial intelligence, algorithms in which principles of fairness bias need to be constantly adjusted to overcome the inherent nature of the bias. The role of "Figure" in shaping perceptions of fairness and justice theory remains a potent force, as seen in debates about distributive justice and equity vs equality. As we grapple with ethical dilemmas in AI and big data, the concept of Figure—both as representation and symbolic code—invites us to question its potential and its intrinsic biases. Is Figure merely a tool for understanding, or a lens through which we selectively shape our perception of reality?