Epistemology: 2. Plato's Meno Flashcards
What is innatism?
The claim that there is some innate knowledge
Innatism posits that certain knowledge is inherent and not acquired through experience.
What type of knowledge does the debate about innatism focus on?
Propositional knowledge
Propositional knowledge refers to knowledge that can be articulated in declarative sentences.
Define innate knowledge.
Not gained from experience, part of the in-built structure of the mind from birth
Innate knowledge is considered to be a priori and aligns with rationalist philosophy.
Who is a notable innatist?
Noam Chomsky
Chomsky’s theories in linguistics support the idea of innate structures in the mind.
In Plato’s Meno, who dialogues with Socrates?
Meno
This dialogue explores the concept of innate knowledge through a geometric problem.
What geometric problem does Socrates ask the slave boy to solve?
How long are the sides of a square with an area of 8 sq ft?
The problem is used to illustrate the idea of recovering innate knowledge.
How does the slave boy solve the geometry problem?
By answering questions posed by Socrates
This demonstrates that the boy had not been taught geometry but was able to arrive at the solution.
What conclusion does Socrates draw from the slave boy’s ability to solve the problem?
He must have recovered the answers from within his mind
This supports the argument for innate knowledge.
What broader philosophical context does the slave boy argument fit into?
The world of forms and the immortal soul
In Plato’s philosophy, the soul has knowledge from the world of forms which it forgets during life.
What is the world of forms according to Plato?
A place full of perfect concepts for all things
The world of forms is where the soul is believed to have learned before birth.
What happens to knowledge in life according to Plato?
Our senses cloud our knowledge
This leads to forgetting what the soul once knew, requiring relearning.
What does Plato suggest must occur for the soul to regain knowledge?
Practicing dying
This refers to becoming unclouded by the senses to think rationally.
True or False: The slave boy argument is widely considered convincing today.
False
Modern evaluations question the validity of claiming all knowledge is innate.
What are some weaknesses of claiming that all knowledge is innate?
Subjective interpretations and lack of empirical evidence
Critics argue that not all knowledge can be explained without experiential learning.
