Answer:
Plato would say the table in front of you represents a temporal instance of the eternal and unchanging Form of a table, which can only be truly understood through intellectual contemplation.
Step-by-step explanation:
According to Plato, the table in front of you is not simply a physical object to be understood through the senses, but rather a particular instance that partakes in the Form of a table. This Form of a table is an eternal, unchanging ideal that resides in a transcendent realm, separate from our own. Plato's Theory of the Forms suggests that the true essence of a table—the Form of Table—can only be grasped through the intellect, as the sensory world around us is constantly changing and therefore unreliable.
In Platonic thought, the Form is the genuine reality, while the table you see is a mere shadow, an imitation of this perfect, immutable Template. Thus, when you're contemplating the nature of the table, Plato would point you towards the intellectual realm where the ideal Form exists, beyond mere physical appearance and sensory perception.