Introduction
According to Plato, ‘sense-perception’ does not qualify as true knowledge because it is linked to the physical world, which is in a constant state of change and, therefore, unreliable. For Plato, true knowledge must be certain and unchanging, something that sense perception cannot provide.

1. The World of Forms vs. the Physical World
Plato divided reality into two realms: the World of Forms and the Physical World.

• The Physical World is what we perceive through our senses (sight, touch, hearing, etc.), but this world is constantly changing and deceptive.
• In contrast, the World of Forms is a realm of perfect, eternal, and unchangeable ideas or forms. True knowledge, according to Plato, is knowledge of these forms, not of the ever-changing physical objects we perceive through our senses.

2. Sense-Perception is Subjective and Unreliable
Plato argued that sense-perception is subjective because different individuals can perceive the same object differently. For example, an object may feel hot to one person but warm to another. Since our senses can be deceptive, they cannot be a reliable source of knowledge. In contrast, knowledge of the forms (such as the form of beauty or justice) is objective and eternal.

3. The Allegory of the Cave
In his famous Allegory of the Cave, Plato illustrates how people are trapped in a world of shadows, perceiving only reflections of the true forms. The prisoners in the cave mistake the shadows (which represent sense-perception) for reality, but these are just distorted images of the real objects (the forms). For Plato, this demonstrates that sense-perception is inferior to intellectual reasoning, which leads to the understanding of the forms.

4. Recent Example of Sense-Perception Limitations
In modern times, the unreliability of sense-perception can be observed in scientific fields. For example, optical illusions trick our sense of sight, leading us to perceive something that is not real. Similarly, the advancement of technology such as virtual reality (VR) can simulate experiences that seem real but are artificial. This modern example aligns with Plato’s idea that the physical world, as perceived by the senses, is not a true representation of reality.

Conclusion
In Plato’s philosophy, sense-perception is not knowledge because it deals with the changing and imperfect physical world. True knowledge, for him, comes from intellectual reasoning and the understanding of the eternal and unchanging forms. His ideas continue to be relevant, as seen in modern examples like optical illusions and VR, which show that sense-perception can indeed be misleading.