Difference Between Socrates And Meno Paradox

In the Meno, Socrates and Meno discuss the nature of virtue, the process of acquiring knowledge, and also the concept of the teachability of virtue. Throughout the text, Meno suggests many varying definitions for virtue, all of which Socrates is able to dismantle. The point is also raised that it may be impossible to know about something that was not previously understood, because the searcher would have no idea what to be looking for. To dispute this, Socrates makes a point that all knowledge is innate, and the process of “learning” is really just recollecting knowledge that is buried deeply within the human mind. The issue of the teachability of virtue is an important theme in this dialogue because it raises points about whether virtue is knowledge, which then leads to the issue of knowledge in general.

Before addressing the fundamental issues of the Theory of Recollection, it is worth noting that Socrates never addresses the second half of Meno’s Paradox- assuming one has found what it is they are looking for, how is one to know they have found it if they do not know what they are looking for? There seems to lack a method for verifying one’s answer and if you cannot confirm that what you have found is in fact what you were looking for then inquiry seems to be never-ending. Although this is a discussion for another time, it does highlight an issue, which Socrates faces in the first part of the paradox, the part he addresses, which is the problem of circularity. Ironically, Socrates’ Theory of Recollection, which is used to overcome

In the Meno, Plato tries to define virtue (arete), meaning virtue in general and not just particular virtues like justice or temperance, by going over three central philosophical questions regarding this topic which are if it’s taught or inborn, if we can know it before actually undergoing it, and finally the distinction between having the knowledge of it and having the exact correct belief of it. While searching for the truth, Meno challenges the possibility of inquiry by asking those questions about knowing and not knowing and providing supporting arguments against that possibility, turning the dialogue into a profound discussion (Fine, The Possibility of Inquiry: Meno’ Paradox from Socrates to Sextus, 1). He even suspects knowledge recollection. This deep discussion is what is known as “Meno’s Paradox, or Paradox of Inquiry” (Westacott,

However, Socrates’ use of the slave boy appears to be a flawed proof of the theory of recollection. Is it not feasible that the slave just has the innate ability to reason mathematically? We can oppose that the slave is recalling prior knowledge, and instead accept that he is activating inherent skill. Further, Socrates guides him to the correct answer through questioning; He claims this simply spurred on his recollection of a priori knowledge, but arguably this means the boy didn’t make this discovery by himself. It’s unlikely that the boy could arrive to this answer without any help at all and appears that Socrates feeds the boy the answer through a series of carefully constructed questions.

He would support this by pointing that in all the pivotal moment of the boy’s understanding of the problem, the questions were not giving him the answer. However, this is inadequate because there are two forms of teaching, passive teaching that is solely a transmission of a body of information, and active teaching, also referred to as the poria-method, which requires the teacher and the student to contribute to the conversation in order to guide a path to the answer. Socrates is using the poria-method which then proves that he was teaching the boy through his questions and that then proves that the boy was not recollecting knowledge. So, we have seen that Socrates response to Meno’s paradox fails, because it does not prove the theory of recollection. Hence, we should reject Plato’s theory of recollection as an adequate response to Meno’s

Socrates attempts to solve this paradox with his theory of recollection. He begins by speaking of the soul of man as being immortal - that it dies and is reborn, again and again. He goes on to say `seeing that the soul is immortal and has been born many times, and has beheld all things both in this world and in the nether realms, she has acquired knowledge of all and everything; so that it is no wonder that she should be able to recollect all that she knew about other things. For as all nature is akin, and the soul has learned all things, there is no reason why we should not, by remembering but one single thing - an act which men call learning - discover everything else.'

In this essay I will show that Socrates answer to Meno 's paradox was unsuccessful. First, I will explain what Meno 's paradox is and how the question of what virtue is was raised. Second, I will explain Socrates attempt to answer the paradox with his theory of recollection and how he believes the soul is immortal. Third, I will provide an argument for why his response was unsuccessful. This will involve looking at empirical questions, rather than non-empirical questions and how Socrates theory of recollection fails in this case. Next, I will provide an argument for why his response was successful. This will involve his interview with the slave boy and how the slave boy is able to provide the correct answers to Socrates questions. Lastly, I will explain why Socrates ' interview with the slave boy does not actually successfully prove his theory of recollection by examining how Socrates phrases his questions.

It is only by using a hypothesis that we are able to conceive of this possibility and Socrates then formally introduces hypothetical inquiry in order to supplement the theory of recollection. Socrates does so because he will later, intentionally, refute his own theory that he had previously stated in 80e and also refute his infamous example of recollection with Meno’s

he has ideas that he did not know he had before the encounter with Socrates.

Socrates finds himself in a sea of darkness when it comes to searching for knowledge he has no real guidance of what he should think and how versus cornel who is able to base his ideas and theories off of other philosophers’; the idea that Socrates is lost in knowledge is the events that lead Socrates in the search for a man who is greater in knowledge than he. men such as Evenus are theses supposed intellectuals that Socrates pursues to speak to and learn from yet the answers that he searches for is not found in mortal men (Plato’s Apology 20c pg.

Towards the end of Meno, Socrates states that knowledge differs from true opinion in its ability to last over long periods of time. Socrates acknowledges that in many ways, knowledge and true opinion are equal; since both are certainly true, they lead to correct action without distinction. For example, in the passage Socrates compares a man who knows the way to Larisa to one who has a right opinion about the directions but has never actually been there, concluding that both would be equally competent guides. However, knowledge is, he argues, “fastened by the tie of the cause,” meaning one who has knowledge of a certain statement has grounded that truth in explanations and reasoning. Earlier in Meno, Socrates

The use of Socrates’ inquiry in the Meno is a perfect example to show how Socrates pushed his listeners to question their own knowledge. Socrates never told Meno his definitions were wrong and his own were right, rather continued to question Meno’s conclusions to show him that he did not know the true meaning of virtue. The people of Athens were unable to accept the fact that many of them were ignorant on topics such as the definition of virtue, whereas Socrates himself was able to admit it. The Athenians disguised Socrates’ true desire to teach people for corruption and impiety because they believed he was trying to humiliate them. Although the people of Athens were blind of Socrates’ true intentions, his method of inquiry did in fact benefit the city of Athens. Socrates’ methods eliminated ignorance and increased proper knowledge on important things such as virtue and knowledge within the city of Athens, which is what he meant when he said he was “a gift of the gods to the city of Athens.”

Socrates does well in applying his Socratic method to his conversation with Meno as well. It seems evident from the text that Meno is rather ignorant. For, a great sum of his responses to Socrates consisted mostly of impertinent questioning and meek agreements. However, Socrates did not seem to mind, as he continued to fathom the nature virtue. He explores the relationship between virtue and knowledge, more specifically whether virtue is a kind of knowledge and may therefore be taught (though he concluded to be uncertain of this case). Socrates also goes on to invalidate Meno’s paradoxical question, “... how will you enquire, Socrates, into that which you do not know?” Socrates concludes with the argument that “...there is no teaching, but only recollection.” He goes on to prove his argument to Meno by questioning one of his slaves. This supports Socrates’ claim

This is a clearer example of what Plato wrote about. Socrates said that virtue is knowledge which is to know what is right is to do what is right. All wrong doing is the result of ignorance, nobody chooses to do wrong purposely. Therefore, to be honest you must have true knowledge. Plato was trying to find a solution to the problem that although there is fundamental steadiness in the world (sun comes up every morning), it is constantly changing (you never step into the same river twice). An old theory about this problem is that we gain all knowledge from our senses. Plato disagreed with this. He said that because the world is constantly changing, our senses cannot be trusted. Socrates sets up a mathematical problem for a slave boy. The slave boy knows the answer, yet he has not been taught arithmetic. Plato suggests that the slave boy remembers the answer to the problem, which has been in

In the dialogue of Meno, Socrates explains the idea of recollection with the question and answer period between himself and the boy. Meno asks Socrates, “What do you mean by saying that we do not learn, and