Khôra

Chora (Greek χώρα " country, matter, space ") is a explains the origin of the world by Plato in the Timaeus, where Timaeus of Locri, introduced the concept of ancient Greek natural philosophy.

The cosmogony shown in the Timaeus is divided into several phases or levels, of which the first and fundamental as " präkosmische phase " or as the " third kind " may be referred to. This phase or genus is already a Genesis, in which the Chora represent the " What " and the intelligible being the "Where ", where the intelligible His memorizing in the Chora and this has thus set in motion. Präkosmisch this phase or genus is so far as engaging in a second phase of the Demiurge in the Chora and thus only the cosmic elements of earth, water, air, fire and ether in the form of the Platonic solids, and also supported by the ordinary perceptible bodies are formed. The third genus name comes from the fact because of the constitution of the world three causes are necessary: ​​the Demiurge, the ideas and thirdly, the Chora.

Problematic and controversial is the meaning of Chora, because Plato is partially contradictory evidence. Possible interpretations are:

For all of these interpretations, there are reasons; you also attempting to harmonize.

In the Chora only move mutually dissimilar images or traces of the four material elements of earth, fire, water and air. By the influence of the Demiurge but this take on the shapes of the corresponding four regular polyhedra and serve as the basic building blocks of the material world, while the fifth regular polyhedron - the ether embodying dodecahedron - the world is embellished.