The Meno : Introduction to Philosophy May 27, 2009 Instructor: Karin Howe Carnegie Mellon University

Meno's Paradox Meno: And how will you enquire, Socrates, into that which you do not know? What will you put forth as the subject of enquiry? And if you find what you want, how will you ever know that this is the thing which you did not know? How does Socrates respond to Meno's Paradox?

Socrates' Theory of Learning as Recollection What is Socrates' theory of Learning as Recollection? Clues: –the soul of man is immortal –at one time [the soul] has an end, which is termed dying, and at another time is born again, but is never destroyed –The soul, then, as being immortal, and having been born again many times, rand having seen all things that exist, whether in this world or in the world below, has knowledge of them all –the soul has learned all things; there is no difficulty in her eliciting or as men say learning, out of a single recollection

How does this work? An illustration (proof?): –The Slave Boy Argument

Knowledge is Better Than True Belief Socrates: I mean to say that they [the statues of Daedulus] are not very valuable possessions if they are at liberty, for they will walk off like runaway slaves; but when fastened, they are of great value, for they are really beautiful works of art. Now this is an illustration of the nature of true opinions: while they abide with us they are beautiful and fruitful, but they run away out of the human soul, and do not remain long, and therefore they are not of much value until they are fastened by the tie of the cause; and this fastening of them, friend Meno, is recollection, as you and I have agreed to call it. But when they are bound, in the first place, they have the nature of knowledge; and, in the second place, they are abiding. And this is why knowledge is more honourable and excellent than true opinion, because fastened by a chain.

The Ethics of Belief, by W.K. Clifford Dates: –Born: 1845 –Died: 1879 Mathematician, scientist, philosopher –Advances in non-euclidean geometry: wrote On the space theory of matter (1870) which greatly influenced Einstein in his formulation of his general theory of relativity –Work in topology: Clifford- Klein spaces

Clifford's Argument –Starts with two parables: one about a shipowner and the other one about a religious group –These parables are not his main argument –Main argument is a sort of Categorical Imperative of belief –Categorical Imperative (Kant): "Act only according to that maxim by which you can at the same time will that it should become a universal law."