...abruptly charges Socrates with a question on virtues teachability, and which practices might be advised as effective. Meno is already aware of Socrates admission of being perplexed by being able to say what virtue is (admitted later in 79e7-80a3). Meno pretends like he had not previously considered Socrates position on the teachability of virtue because he is more interested in appearing sophisticated and well managed than philosophy. Truly, Meno reads as the most foolish character portrayed in literature. This introduction is ironic because it shows Meno’s eagerness for a foolish inquiry, his rush to confront a question that is beyond his ability to give proper address, and a list of illogical inferences placed in the question itself. Meno’s character will continue to mirror similar behavior throughout the dialogue....
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...Plato claims that innate knowledge is not earned but instead implies that knowledge is already in you from birth. Plato argues that all wisdom is recollection; he believed that individuals did not learn new things, but rather recall or recollect old information meaning it was learned prior to mortality. This dialog has a dramatic significance. He considered memory to be a method for breaking down and debating data and thought intellectual humility was vital. It can be seen how Socrates brings down Meno’s confidence when he thought that he knew what virtue was. By carefully questioning, Socrates makes Meno doubt: “Socrates, I used to be told, before I knew you, that you were always doubting yourself and making others doubt.” (Cottingham, Innate Knowledge, page 3)....
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...concerning education and virtue, but which fails to distinguish between the moral relativism of the Sophists and the belief in absolute moral standards held by Socrates (and his puppet-master Plato). The term "sophist"" is derived from the Greek words sophos and sophia which are usually translated as "wise" and "wisdom". The Sophists were itinerant teachers who claimed to teach wisdom; more specifically, Protogoras, one of the first to willingly identify himself as a Sophist, stated that he taught one how to take "proper care of his personal affairs, so that he may be manage his own household, and also of the State's affairs, so as to become a real power in the city, both as speaker and man of action." (Protogoras 318e-319a). Socrates reinterprets Protogoras' statement as a claim to make students into good citizens, and Protogoras readily agrees. Socrates then presents two objections to the claim that one can learn how to be a good citizen by studying with a teacher. First, Socrates notes that, while an expert is consulted in technical matters such as architecture or shipbuilding, no special expertise is demanded in order to participate in government. Second, Socrates observes that "the wisest and best of our countrymen are unable to hand on to others the virtue which they posses." (Protogoras319e). Even Pericles, great as he was, seemed unable to teach virtue to his own sons. Although Socrates shifts the subject of the debate from citizenship to virtue, Protogoras does not...
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...THE ARGUMENT FROM RECOLLECTION Henna Khan Philosophy 380: Death, Dying, and the Quality of Life 09/10/2017 Socrates presents an argument known as the Argument from Recollection, which attempts to prove one’s soul existed prior to his or her birth. To better explain this argument, a definition will need to be established. Socrates defines in his monologue, the definition of Recollection, “So all human beings are good in the same way, for they become good by acquiring the same qualities. It seems so. And they would not be good in the same way if they did not have the same virtue. They certainly would not be. Since then the virtue of all is the same, try to tell me and to remember what Gorgias, and you with him, said that that same thing is.” To better explain, the argument is sectioned into three parts. The first part stating simply that one acquires knowledge by remembering it through the soul...
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...of the same kind have in a common type class. For example; if we were talking about pencils, a pencil would be an individual while pencil would be a form. In the dialogue “Meno,” Socrates opens not with the question of “what is virtue?” but rather “how and if virtue can be taught.” He then attempts to discover an exact definition of virtue because before one can discuss the subsequent questions about it, one must have an exact definition. Plato brings forth the idea of anamnesis, which states the soul is eternal and already knows everything, and in order to learn one must simply recollect what they already know. Throughout the dialogue Meno proposes many definitions of virtue, all of which are turned down by Socrates because he tends to use the word he is defining in the definition. As a result, the question is raised of whether it is even possible to seek for something one does not know yet, attempting to find a definition of virtue. By the end of the dialogue the two come to the conclusion that they still do not have a clear definition; however, they do not now that they do not know. This introduces the objection proposed by Meno discussing the entire definitional search in the form of what has been called “The Paradox of Inquiry.” The argument appeared to be very mature and developed, but Plato critiqued it harshly. His response to the objection is as follows, one cant come to know something that they did not already know; inquiry never produces new knowledge, but only...
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...Rationalism In Plato’s Meno it begins with a debate between a fictional Socrates and Meno about whether virtue can be taught or if it is acquired in another way. Socrates begins to prove his point when he asks the slaves about the geometry question. When the slave answers the question, Socrates suggests to Meno that they inquire this together. Meno argues with his “Meno’s Paradox” that, “one logically cannot inquire productivity into what one does not already know” (Meno 58). Then Socrates continues to make Meno question his own beliefs when the slave recognizes the answer to geometrical problem. Socrates proceeds to confirm with the concept that the sole is immortal and the slave was “recollecting” knowledge that the soul already had. In Plato’s Meno his argument was with “recollection doctrine” of knowledge was already having the concept to begin with and people were just “recollecting” prior knowledge. Plato continues to argue rationalism through Phaedo with the Socratic Method. Plato uses his arguments in Phaedo using Socrates’ voice and other characters to explore rational arguments. It is only when the philosophers realize the truth, is when they will know the true knowledge, even if they didn’t exactly see it. There are different forms of recollection for example one is mathematics. Unlike rational objects, which Plato describes this is not a legitimate form of knowledge. All knowledge is innate, the concept that knowledge originates in the mind. The soul just has to...
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...This essay will examine Plato’s Meno. In particular, I will examine the passage from 77c to 78b, in which Socrates persuades Meno that no one desires bad things. Ultimately, this essay concerns the construction of virtue under the Socratic Method. The structure of this essay is as follows: First, I will briefly provide an outline of Socrates’ argument against Meno’s idea of virtue. After which, I will provide a counter to Socrates’ argument, in short being – virtue (again, good) does not exist as entity beyond our imagination {therefore, subjective (that being dependent upon one’s perception)}, thus, as we construct our imagination, we construct virtue, thus, obviously, virtue is necessarily an illusion (a false idea/perception); after that, I will play the role of Socrates and give a hypothetical response, to suggest that even...
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...PHIL 127: History of Ancient Philosophy Socrates and His Mission When is a Question Philosophical? Philosophical questions have answers. (A question that has no answer is not a question; it just masquerades as one.) But a question is philosophical for a particular culture at a particular time when no means of answering it are available – or, none of the prevailing methods have any authority. A problem is a philosophical problem when the way to go about answering the question is in question. An issue is a philosophical issue when the right way to settle the issue is at issue. A Philosophical Crisis If the claims in the previous paragraph are true, then 5th century Greece was in a philosophical crisis. It was a crisis in morality. In our culture we think of morality as being concerned with rules. Here are some rules – You should not kill. – You should not steal. – Don’t hit people. – Lying is wrong. – It’s wrong to promise to do something and then not do it. – You should not covet your neighbors wife, or his ox or his ass or his male or female slave, or anything that is your neighbor’s. – You should not lie with a man as with a woman. – Thou should not wear fabric woven of wool one way and linen the other. – Do (imperative) unto others as you would have them do unto you. – Help (imperative) other people who are in need when you can do so at no great risk or cost to yourself. Why do we think of morality as consisting of rules? This question is important...
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...skepticism - can usually be tested - and even when it can't, there may well come a time when it can. Many philosophers have had their own version and interpretation of skepticism. Skeptics only denies we have knowledge but does not deny our belief or opinion. Most of which our true belief is just luck and lucky guesses are not knowledge. An example of this can be found in a reading from Humes which he explained that he does not perceive anything else besides his perceptions such as immaterial substance. From different philosophers and readings we can understand there are many different meanings and interpretations of skepticism. According to Philonous presents an argument against Hylas stating that only ideas are perceived, nothing else and thus that we are aware only of the mind. Philonous proceeds to use the same arguments as John Locke to prove things are independent of the mind. Philonous uses a similar example to that of John Locke in which he states, “suppose now one of your hands hot, and the other cold, and that they are both at once put into the same vessel of water in an immediate state’ will not the water seem cold to one hand and warm to another?” (The Empiricists, pg 225). We perceive things differently and because how we perceive them through our minds. On pg 248 of The Empiricists Hylas acknowledges whatever we perceive we perceive by senses and immediately. Hylas uses an example of “I took a picture or statue of Juluis...
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