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The Role Of Recollection In Plato's Meno

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In Plato’s Meno, Socrates states that the theory of recollection is that all the knowledge a person has is known from previous experience. In simple terms, this means that instead of learning and acquiring knowledge to answer a question or state a fact, they are simply just remembering something that they already knew Socrates is presented as a philosophical pilot, asking questions in order to prod the slave boy into recalling the information that he in return truly had no prior connection with. “We do not learn, and that what we call learning is only a process of recollection” (Hackett). The notion of true knowledge is said to be innate in that asking a series of the right questions can recollect all knowledge. The theory of recollection suggests …show more content…

Meno is instructed by Socrates to look at the situation between the slave boy and Socrates to determine whether the slave boy is learning or recalling the information from his soul. Socrates starts questioning the slave boy on a square, even thought he boy has no geometric knowledge; but guided by Socrates he is able to provide the right answer When asked the area the boy confidently answers incorrectly Although his initial response was incorrect, guided by Socrates’ questions the boy was able to answer correctly Socrates suggests that one does not need to understand topics such as geometry, but can still answer the questions correctly by someone asking the right questions. Plato’s Meno gives the idea that the slave boy, without anyone’s help and only the questions asked of him, he will understand, finding the knowledge from within, recollecting. This is proof that the slave boy had no knowledge of mathematics or geometry prior to this happening. There was no way that the boy could have gained this knowledge anytime in his life. This helps the theory of recollection hold true and enhance the statement that the knowledge of the slave boy came from

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