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April 30, 2019
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Plato’s Meno discusses important aspects of life such as virtue and knowledge. The book includes the argumentative methods used by Plato for supporting his claims. His style has relevance with the Socratic methods because he considers logic as an important aspect of the argument. The central concern of Plato is that understanding is an essential part of nature. Virtue according to him is the ability to rule men. His ideology stresses on happiness and claims that pleasure is linked with one's satisfaction. Justice can be seen as a virtue because it eliminates disparity or unfairness. The definition of virtue is not limited to any one aspect. Plato relies on Socratic ideology for explaining the true meaning of virtue. Socrates claims that virtue is one's desire for attaining beautiful and good things.
Meno's paradox illustrates that knowledge is innate because either we know or don't know something. but if a human doesn't know he wants to be able to explore what he needs. Plato in his argument finds the answer to the existence of knowledge. The answers demonstrate the reality and truth of the knowledge. Does the knowledge lead to perfection or people are still unable to learn about entire information. Plato also finds the answers to the forms in which knowledge can exist. Plato mentions, “We do not learn, and that what we call learning is only a process of recollection” (Plato, Cooper, & Grube 2002). This proves that knwoeledge is innate because what human learns is a recollection.
Plato by answering the questions leads to the conclusion that recognizes knowledge as a rational belief and enduring truth. People possess the knowledge and it is existent in the form of humans. Plato relates knowledge with the other world and denies accepting the revelation of knowledge through people’s senses. The main conclusion that Plato draws from the questions is that humans lack complete knowledge. Though they possess some knowledge that knowledge is fallible and incomplete. If people would possess complete and authentic knowledge, they would also know about the other world. Plato claims, “if we indulged in the idle fancy that there was no knowing and no use in seeking to know what we do not know that is a theme upon which I am ready to fight, in word and deed, to the utmost of my power” (Plato, Cooper, & Grube 2002). Human already possesses some knowledge in their minds that allow them to explore further facts.
Plato uses the premises of the epistemological argument, metaphysical argument, and semantic argument to illustrate the reality of knowledge. The epistemological argument states that human senses lead to different realities regarding knowledge. Plato emphasizes on human behaviours. Plato mentions, “and that only these two things, true belief and knowledge, guide correctly” (Plato, Cooper, & Grube 2002). He claims that human beings need to use their minds and remain a sceptic of philosophical findings. He rejects the mere acceptance of the philosophy without facts.CITATION Pla66 \l 1033 (Grube, 1981). The knowledge according to this claim is innate. The slave boy demonstration is also used by Plato for claiming that learning is a recollection. This is because he lacks mathematical training or ability of solving a problem of geometry. When the boy is asked to double the areas of circle he fails to do that. After practice he improved by 50%. This reflects that only way of overcoming slave state is by learning. Thee situation of boy has close relevance with Meno because he develops awareness about his feelings, ignorance and beleifs.
The philosophy of Plato finds answers to some basic questions that intrigue the human mind such as the difference between knowledge and beliefs. about virtue he mentions, “we have been right in how we investigated and what we said, virtue turns out to be neither innate nor earned” (Plato, Cooper, & Grube 2002). It is difficult to find who is right among humans. What is knowledge and why do people assume that they have knowledge? At what points knowledge varies from belief and which one is more firms? Do people with knowledge know everything? Is knowledge real or not? Plato’s answers to these questions help people to understand the concept of knowledge and how it exists in people. The answers explain the reality of knowledge and make them clear about the limitations that a person of knowledge encounters CITATION Emr17 \l 1033 (Westacott, 2017).
The conclusion that Plato draws in regarding he argues that people with knowledge are known things, but their knowledge is based on assumptions and fallible. There are limitations to the knowledge that means people irrespective of their knowledge are not able to know everything. Plato’s theory of reality provides a solution to the problems. Using the premises of knowledge and opinion Plato explains the reality in them. The truth of knowledge lies in the midway as they are no one way. The reality gives an idea about the complex pattern of forms. Mathematics reveals the pattern of forms. The metaphysical argument emphasizes on the similarity between nature and things. The semantic argument finds the reality of words that explains the claim. What people know is not complete and unreal in another form. People are also ignorant to the things when their knowledge fails to guide them. Completeness of knowledge also reflects from the virtues, but the human is also engaged in immoral acts that makes them less virtuous.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
Grube, M. A. (1981). PLATO'S FIVE DIALOGUES – MENO. Retrieved 2019 йил 30-04 from https://philosophicaljourney.wordpress.com/2015/03/01/platos-five-dialogues-part-ii/
Plato, Cooper, J., & Grube, G. M. (2002). Plato: Five Dialogues: Euthyphro, Apology, Crito, Meno, Phaedo (Hackett Classics) Second Edition,2 Edition. Hackett Publishing Company, Inc.
Westacott, E. (2017). https://www.thoughtco.com/platos-meno-2670343. Retrieved 04 30, 2019, from https://www.thoughtco.com/platos-meno-2670343
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