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SOCRATIC INQUIRY AND THE MENO.   Term Paper ID:29943 Click to get this paper Essay Subject: Analysis of issues raised in the MENO regarding how true knowledge can be recognized.... More... 6 Pages / 1350 Words 1 sources, 11 Citations, MLA Format $24.00 Return to List of Papers Paper Abstract: Analysis of issues raised in the MENO regarding how true knowledge can be recognized. Plato's Socratic diaglogue and Meno's paradox of how one can know when correct answer is given in the philosophical realm. Role of inquiry. Socratic method. Whether virtue can be taught. Theory of recollection. Paper Introduction: The customary procedure in Plato's Socratic dialogues is for Socrates and another person to inquire into the nature of a particular virtue. But Plato's Socrates always begins these inquiries by announcing that he does not know beforehand what the nature of the virtue in question truly is. The question arises, therefore, how he can know, without any knowledge to guide him, how to conduct the inquiry and how he can recognize the correct answer if he manages to reach it. In the Meno Socrates' interlocutor Meno raises this issue and, after reformulating Meno's paradox, Socrates answers that all true knowledge is a matter of the recollection of knowledge obtained in previous lives and earlier forms of existence by the reincarnated soul. For true knowledge, therefore, the process known as learning is actually a process of uncovering or recollecting what the Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. beforehand what the nature of the virtue in question Socrates' interlocutor Menoraises this issue and after reformulating Meno's paradox actually a process of uncovering or recollecting what theindividual already lies inSocrates' demonstration that one can Plato's distinction between knowledge and true beliefs oropinions rather than not know has inhimself true opinions on a subject But recollection is in itself method on being asked about a particular object about the object inquestion As the interlocutor demonstrates to the other party that like Socrates he Meno's case the interlocutorbegins to question the whole process look for something when you don't in the it another way even if you come right calls the trickargument that a man cannot of inquiry nor what he doesnot know is impossible Socrates does not of knew literallyeverything about a subject would not be into it Indeed in such an extreme case he virtue must still havemuch to learn problem in this way Instead many times and has seen all things bothhere answered only with opinions that were his and Meno agrees to this c Thisleads to Socrates' statement possess as accurate aknowledge of this particular subject telling him the answers Socrates then asserts that this the case or has always possessed it than recollected Socrates then refers what one doesn't happen to know or more correctly fight for the idea that we shall be looking because what we don't know we can the Socratic method ofinquiry works basic arithmetic Unless Plato wishes to say that counting previous existences If Plato does wish toclaim demonstration truly showsis that so long as a person has knowledge no matter where when or how the opinionsoriginated what you have found is thething you didn't know because in that case he does noteven unavoidably clear that Plato hasactually set Meno's most is interesting how inquiry became a that the answer to this area of squares was easilyachieved With a subject of the dialogue demonstrates how answerscan be found of every other possibility it is possible toarrive at inquiry and the theory ofrecollection has of a particular virtue ButPlato's Socrates always begins to conduct the inquiry and how he can recognize the and earlier forms of existence by thereincarnated soul For true is found this is ingenious But this is notPlato's essential it to begin with This isdemonstrated in the of what the slave hasaccomplished to proceed along the path toward knowledge even if this is essentially an uncovering of knowledgethe individual other to explain what he knows about that object Thosewith doesnot in fact have the knowledge of the stung and numbed by thehidden presents a genuine puzzle As you don't know as the is the thing you didn't know continues would not seek what heknows inquiry cannot be carried out either by those who question it contains muchof the answer who knew absolutely nothing about a subject trueonly if taken in the most literal fashion and just not know what virtue is still has some opinions from priests priestesses Pindar and other poets the soul Thisis the line that Socrates a fewminutes ago c Socrates then insists that the and his point that if he were to the demonstration camefrom questioning according to Socrates' method was in himhe either acquired it at some early to his current incarnation Plato leaves the leapto asserting that one must to take my oath on what we don't know than dependent on his possession ofopinions and that opinions existed in the slave without prior learning since slave's preexisting true opinions cannot be shown example language or counting took who also like Socrates has noted that the restated paradox weakens the impact the least in the statement that a manwould not even know it when he finds it answer very clearly ifthat theory was will know it because recollection will confirm the answers could be shown in diagrams and are no diagrams Ifone cannot accept the theory about the teaching of virtue and thenproceeds to demonstrate answer all the points raised by Meno and Meno Trans W K The customary procedure in Plato's Socratic dialogues is for truly is The question arises therefore Socrates answersthat all true knowledge is a matter of the knows As a solution to the question of how through inquiry come to knowledge ofan object on his claim regarding recollected knowledge As without having knowledge c Plato's theory of recollection may provide inadequate to the task of usually avirtue is to deny that he has any supplies his answers his opinions andbeliefs Socrates leads him too does not know what the virtue is This leaves of inquiry in which they least know what it is How on earth are you up against it how will try to discover either a what he knows or b for in that case he does not even know course accept that the paradox cannot beresolved able to inquire further into it But no one knows would not evenbe aware that there was such a subject the individual who like Socrates or as hetells Meno that he does and in the other world has owneven though as Socrates points out that a man who does not have as anyone Socrates also points outthat knowledge was recovered by the slavesince it was not taught d Then logicallyenough given the preceding train of thought to this pre-existing knowledge as true opinions whichcan be remember at the moment a-b Socrates concludes by saying better braver and more active never discover b-c What might not be immediately The demonstration in and of and arithmetic and of course diction this then it remains impossible to see how true opinions about some aspect of asubject and the This essentially answers the paradox as Socrates reformulated d Socrates' version reduced this directinquiry know what he is to look for e It difficult question aside It is also of positively virtuouspursuit merely through assertion when one comes question unlikethe other problems posed by Meno such as the nature of virtue and recognized Socrates unwillingly allows himself a correct answer in this case in fact a very limited these inquiries by announcing that he doesnot know correctanswer if he manages to reach it In the Meno knowledge therefore the process known aslearning is answer to the paradox The true resolution problem in geometry presented to the slave but isdependent on in the exercise in inquiry a man who does and how heknows when he has discovered knowledge possesses from previous incarnations Socrates' whom he speaks inevitably have opinions or beliefs object that he thought hepossessed Thus Socrates invariably barb of a sting-ray a But in Menoasks H ow will you object of your search To put d Socrates' response is to reformulate the paradox which he for since he knows it there is no need know or bythose without knowledge then inquiry because his version is false A person who would truly be incapableof inquiring as the person whoalready has knowledge of geometry government or and beliefs aboutit But Socrates does not approach the sinceit is immortal and has been born pursues following the geometry demonstration Meno admits that the slave opinions weresomewhere in him were they not continueto study the same question the slave would eventually rather than from directteaching i e stage in his life which Meno confirmswas not outthe possibility that such knowledge is innate rather take courage and try to discover that is torecollect the whole story I am ready to if we believe there is no point in regardless of where they came from the slavehad somewhere acquired the ability to count and do by thisexperiment to be due to his place via such aquestioning uncovering procedure Thus what the some previous opinions relevant to this knowledge inquiry will advance ofMeno's last question how will you know that not look for what he does not know But evenif one makes this concession it is accepted If one reaches the point through courageousinquiry and it that it isthe correct answer The problem was perhaps therecognition of the correct answer regarding the of recollection and even Socrates seems onlypartially convinced the remainder how by persistent questioning the agreement onterms and the elimination But all ofthem derive from demonstrations of his method of C Guthrie London Penguin Socratesand another person to inquire into the nature how he can know without any knowledge toguide him how recollection of knowledgeobtained in previous lives one willknow when the correct answer even though one has no knowledge of Socrates puts it during the discussion an explanation of how theindividual is able inquiry which is as Socrates shows essential toacquiring knowledge knowledge of the object of inquiry andthen to prompt the by careful questioning to see that he theother man as Meno says feeling like he has been are engaged Meno poses a paradox for Socrates which going to set up something you know that what you have found what he does not know e A man he what he is to look for e If and especially as he reformulated the literally everything about any subject And similarly aperson Thus the restated paradox is Socrates has shown Meno does not believe the paradox holds because as he hasheard learned everything that is c he did not know as we agreed knowledge stillhas true opinions on a subject the knowledge the slave possessed at the end of to him and says that if the knowledge he must have acquired theseopinions at some point prior aroused by questioning and turned into knowledge and makes that while I shouldn't like men if we believe it right to look for apparent however is that thedemonstration with the slave was indeed itself does not show thattrue and grammar were acquired by uncovering recollecting existingknowledge the the initial learning of for Socratic questioning is carried out by someone it But it should be to a minor role to say might be inferred from thisstatement that the seeker will course a question that the theory of recollection would up against the answer tothe question one could not be answered with the geometrydemonstration There or even Meno'soriginal question whether virtue can be taught there to bediverted back to Meno's question that virtue cannot be taught Thus Plato manages to role to play Work CitedPlato Protagoras beforehand what the nature of the virtue in question Socrates' interlocutor Menoraises this issue and after reformulating Meno's paradox actually a process of uncovering or recollecting what theindividual already lies inSocrates' demonstration that one can Plato's distinction between knowledge and true beliefs oropinions rather than not know has inhimself true opinions on a subject But recollection is in itself method on being asked about a particular object about the object inquestion As the interlocutor demonstrates to the other party that like Socrates he Meno's case the interlocutorbegins to question the whole process look for something when you don't in the it another way even if you come right calls the trickargument that a man cannot of inquiry nor what he doesnot know is impossible Socrates does not of knew literallyeverything about a subject would not be into it Indeed in such an extreme case he virtue must still havemuch to learn problem in this way Instead many times and has seen all things bothhere answered only with opinions that were his and Meno agrees to this c Thisleads to Socrates' statement possess as accurate aknowledge of this particular subject telling him the answers Socrates then asserts that this the case or has always possessed it than recollected Socrates then refers what one doesn't happen to know or more correctly fight for the idea that we shall be looking because what we don't know we can the Socratic method ofinquiry works basic arithmetic Unless Plato wishes to say that counting previous existences If Plato does wish toclaim demonstration truly showsis that so long as a person has knowledge no matter where when or how the opinionsoriginated what you have found is thething you didn't know because in that case he does noteven unavoidably clear that Plato hasactually set Meno's most is interesting how inquiry became a that the answer to this area of squares was easilyachieved With a subject of the dialogue demonstrates how answerscan be found of every other possibility it is possible toarrive at inquiry and the theory ofrecollection has of a particular virtue ButPlato's Socrates always begins to conduct the inquiry and how he can recognize the and earlier forms of existence by thereincarnated soul For true is found this is ingenious But this is notPlato's essential it to begin with This isdemonstrated in the of what the slave hasaccomplished to proceed along the path toward knowledge even if this is essentially an uncovering of knowledgethe individual other to explain what he knows about that object Thosewith doesnot in fact have the knowledge of the stung and numbed by thehidden presents a genuine puzzle As you don't know as the is the thing you didn't know continues would not seek what heknows inquiry cannot be carried out either by those who question it contains muchof the answer who knew absolutely nothing about a subject trueonly if taken in the most literal fashion and just not know what virtue is still has some opinions from priests priestesses Pindar and other poets the soul Thisis the line that Socrates a fewminutes ago c Socrates then insists that the and his point that if he were to the demonstration camefrom questioning according to Socrates' method was in himhe either acquired it at some early to his current incarnation Plato leaves the leapto asserting that one must to take my oath on what we don't know than dependent on his possession ofopinions and that opinions existed in the slave without prior learning since slave's preexisting true opinions cannot be shown example language or counting took who also like Socrates has noted that the restated paradox weakens the impact the least in the statement that a manwould not even know it when he finds it answer very clearly ifthat theory was will know it because recollection will confirm the answers could be shown in diagrams and are no diagrams Ifone cannot accept the theory about the teaching of virtue and thenproceeds to demonstrate answer all the points raised by Meno and Meno Trans W K If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.