Preview

The Apology: Is Knowledge Power?

Powerful Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1551 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
The Apology: Is Knowledge Power?
Trey Herring
11/16/14
Philosophy 151-22
Dr. Howell
Is Knowledge Power? If knowledge is the facts, information, and skills acquired by a person through experience or education, then the importance of knowledge and certainty is nine times out of ten the most important characteristic in the human body. In Descartes Mediations on First Philosophy, knowledge comes from our senses but the senses are only there to help improve all these aspects of life. His idea is the mind is a dominant weapon in everyday life, one that decides the certainty of all things. In The Apology, Socrates believes that all knowledge comes thru questioning of what he thinks he knows to what he truly is willing to find out. Therefore his ideas of what he thinks he knows
…show more content…
Their never is an understanding in which both men truly seem to be self-confident in or hold that self-knowledge needed to develop an understanding. Socrates always seems to teach his understanding through questioning as he and Meno seem to solve the answers of knowledge along with virtue. Socrates questions “If there is something good, and yet separate from knowledge, possibly virtue would not be a knowledge, but if there is no good in which knowledge does not contain, it would be a right notion to suspect it is knowledge,” (Socrates 50). His knowledge is never clear or resolved, it is always an on word discussion with Meno about clarifying the real meaning behind what is truly knowledge. By means Socrates never simply applies his understanding of what knowledge is until further …show more content…
His knowledge is always in question, but if learning develops knowledge then technically both are in comparison and shape one another. In The Meno the learning that Socrates faces comes through memory and how the soul rediscovers the truth. This learning that Socrates overcomes can be taught and is put in a specific conclusion with factual evidence. This information in learning is the most confident Socrates gets, therefore this is the next step to discover knowledge. But Socrates does not confirm this or give a solid reason as to why the meaning of knowledge is important. It is only in the soul or in the mind that both men feel the most confidence in knowledge, but both Socrates and Descartes never understand this in their

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Socrates introduced his first topic by his first sentence, “I do not know,” . Socrates was the wisest man in ancient Greece at that time. “He asked if any man was wiser than I, and the Pythian replied that no one was wiser…” The wisest man started his dialogue with “I do not know.” Socrates wants to emphases the ignorance of human race which he mentioned several times in Apology. “What is probable, gentlemen, is that in fact the god is wise and that his oracular response meant that human wisdom is worth little or nothing…...” By the first sentence, Socrates brings out his first theme in Apology: the ignorance of people. In another way of understanding, although he is already the most wisdom man in the world, he still prefers to begin his sentences with “I do not know” to emphases that there is a much broader and larger world of knowledge for man-kind to explore.…

    • 574 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    On pages 35-37 of Plato’s philosophical dialogue “Apology” (389 BCE), Socrates argues that if he is wise it’s because he, unlike others, knows that he is not wise and he knows that people can not know when they think they know. In the beginning of the dialogue socrates sets up the question on why he is in trouble with the court(for corrupting the youth) and where did his reputation come from. He explains to the court that the oracle pronounced him as being the most wise and that no one else was wiser than him. Being confused on why the Gods would say this, Socrates explains the stories to the court on how he ventured out to search for wiser man to prove the oracle wrong but along the way he realizes that the politicians, poets, and artisans…

    • 355 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Socrates does not in fact tell his associates anything, but rather helps them understand ideas that were already in them through his series of questions that test whether what his associate says is of truth or not, and so he is not actually giving any knowledge. In the Meno, he shows an example of what he does when he attempts to “bring forth” geometry knowledge from a Greek slave boy. The boy answers some questions incorrectly at first before stating that he does not know. Socrates then continues to ask the boy more questions, and as the boy answers them, he comes to understand it without Socrates ever actually telling the boy anything at all. Socrates then states that “Then he will have knowledge without being taught by anyone but only questioned, since he will have recovered the knowledge from inside himself” (Meno, 85c-85d). He is saying that the boy is able to gain knowledge from Socrates asking him multiple questions about it constantly, and it will come forth within his associates, without him actually telling them anything at all. He also elaborates on this type of wisdom that he has in the Apology, saying “I thought this man seemed wise to many people, and especially to himself, but wasn’t. Then I tried to show him that he thought himself wise, but wasn’t.” (Apology, 21c-21e). Here, Socrates is stating that he has no knowledge, but rather questions the ideas of his associates to help them become more wise. This also showcases the type of wisdom that he does possess, which is knowing that he does not know…

    • 984 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Meno's Geometric Argument

    • 1538 Words
    • 7 Pages

    In the Meno, Socrates tries to walk Meno through the discovery of if virtue can be taught. Along the way they come across the theory that if virtue can be taught then it is knowledge. If knowledge then it can be taught but the Geometric argument was brought up where a person can have the capacity to learn based on their previous life and their soul conjuring up prior knowledge to understand the topic. Socrates called upon a slave, a person who has no formal education and walked him through a geometry problem. This problem was meant to illustrate that a person’s knowledge is not based on what this person has learned in their lifetime but their capacity and ability to understand is based on what their soul has learned in previous lifetimes. Socrates uses this example show his thesis is true but what about different scenarios that aren’t math based and through different problems you can see that Socrates theory is half correct and that there are several implications that prove that souls don’t know it all.…

    • 1538 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    He also indicates that people who are located in the belief have beliefs but they barely have any knowledge of the things that they believe in. According to Socrates, people in the stage of thought starts to use their knowledge of reasoning. Lastly, people in the understanding level uses their knowledge to figure about the good. Therefore, in Republic, Socrates discuss about knowledge in regard to the hierarchy of cognitive faculties which describes the progress of knowledge in our souls.…

    • 452 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Interlocutor Vs Meno

    • 1706 Words
    • 7 Pages

    After observing the unchangeable nature of Meno, Socrates uses his last attempt to differentiate between true knowledge and right opinion, which can lead to similar action and outcomes. His vital note is that right opinion is easy to lose, but true knowledge can be recollected at any time. A person can listen to another's teaching without pondering and assume that he knows the knowledge behind it, while he only possesses transient right opinion, like Meno's receipt of Gorgias's ideas. However, he will never grasp the real knowledge, which will encompass all specific situations and stay within an industrious, pensive, and open…

    • 1706 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    “[Having] been reduced to the perplexity of realizing that he did not know… he will go on and discover something.” (Meno 84a-d, Lamb translation). He is stating here how the once “ know it all's” are now going to discover new things because now they know they don’t know everything. Socrates believed this was a way everyone should live. “Life without this sort of examination is not worth living.”(Aporia and the wisdom of emptiness, Socrates pg??). “Socrates modeled the ultimate peace within aporia in his confrontation with death, maintaining his curiosity and seriousness, his awe and levity.”(Aporia and the wisdom of emptiness, Socrates pg??) He did his best while speaking to these people that he kept the conversation serious using what he was wondering and lighting the conversation up a bit with his…

    • 532 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Comparing Socrates To Meno

    • 1777 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Within the story Socrates and the character Meno began by searching for what virtue was. Meno simply wanted to know the nature of it, how it was acquired, but Socrates felt the definition was needed first. In the end Meno gets frustrated with the whole discussion and feels they can’t inquire about something they don’t know about. This where the concepts of knowledge and true belief come into the Meno. To prove to Meno they are able to conduct inquiry into the unknown Socrates does a demonstration with a slave boy to prove his assertion that all learning is recollection. In this demonstration he has the slave boy answer geometry questions. The slave boy does not know geometry. Throughout the demonstration Socrates simply draws pictures and asks questions to guide the boy to the answer. At the end of the discussion the slave boy who had no knowledge of geometry was able to answer a few geometrical questions. Socrates takes this to prove his assertion that the soul is immortal, and therefore all learning is recollection. Socrates says because the soul is immortal it possesses all knowledge within it, and what we call learning is really recollecting. We acquire knowledge through inquiring about things until we are able to ‘remember’ them as Socrates states it. Once we have done sufficient inquiry these true beliefs within us become knowledge once again as…

    • 1777 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    Meno Paradox

    • 1450 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Meno has progressed because he has come to some new level of understanding just by admitting he doesn’t know the answers to virtue and being willing to seek out those answers by asking them of someone who does know the answers, Socrates. Socrates doesn’t see this as enough. He considers Meno to be like the slave boy, someone who has opinions that are a compilation of other peoples’ ideas, Gorgias and Socrates, but have yet to be anything of value because these ideas aren’t his own. It is not enough to just want to know the answers if Meno isn’t willing to investigate on his own. Just as the slave boy would become an expert at geometry “if he were repeatedly asked these same questions in various ways” because he will have practiced many different variations of the same concept and will gain true understanding, Meno will only come to claim true understanding by taking the ideas of Gorgias and Socrates and making them his own by practicing his own…

    • 1450 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    One of the major themes that Socrates heavily focused on in his speech was the philosophical ideas of wisdom and a description of Socrates’ own wisdom as well. Older accusers had allegedly claimed that Socrates did not believe in gods, and instead would try to explain phenomenons through physical explanations instead, as well as the fact that Socrates would teach others how to make a weak argument triumph a stronger one by using clever rhetorics. In Socrates’ defense, he has stated that he does not have any kind of competence and expertise in any of these areas. This statement truly divides Socrates from sophists and even Presocratics, as teachers that each belong to these organizations assert that only through experience and examination they can gain…

    • 695 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    First, in Plato’s Euthyphro, we see the Socratic Method of questioning being applied in a discussion between Socrates and Euthyphro. Plato writes, “Socrates: … Is the pious being loved by the gods because it is pious, or is it pious because it is being loved by the gods? Euthyphro: I do not know what you mean, Socrates.” (Plato 11). This method of questioning and critical thinking is what Socrates applies to all the issues that he is faced with, which is why it’s referred to as the Socratic Method. This method does not only apply to words or ideas, it can be applied to anything to find the deeper reasoning behind every belief. The Socratic Method is one of the most important aspects of Socrates’ lifestyle that causes him to act as a gadfly to society. Second, Socrates’ strength in evaluating information was admitting his ignorance when it came to what he didn’t know, while others attempted to act as though they already knew the answer to the problem. In The Apology, Socrates writes, “… It is likely that neither of us knows anything worthwhile, but he thinks he knows something when he does not, whereas when I do not know , neither do I think I know” (Plato 25). The acceptance of his ignorance allows for him to seek the truth and find it for himself rather than accepting what others tell him. He…

    • 1940 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    helloham

    • 3763 Words
    • 16 Pages

    Socrates is considered one of the greatest thinkers of all time. This was not because he was the most intelligent, but as he states in the Apology, it was because he knew he didn’t know everything. He enjoyed questioning people and getting them to think deeper and he would consider other’s opinions. He refers to himself as a gadfly that pesters the horse into action. This is the case in Plato’s Meno. Socrates is having a discussion with Meno on whether virtues are teachable. This conversation leads to what does it take for a man to be a success. Socrates states that there are two ways in which men succeed. They are though true knowledge and right opinion. Although there are differences between them, they both will lead to success.…

    • 3763 Words
    • 16 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Socrates Vs Meno Analysis

    • 376 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Socrates states that the human soul is immortal and it is reborn again, but it’s never destroyed. Socrates also points out that the soul has learned everything that is to know. Therefore, when we “learn” about something, it is merely just a “recollecting” what our soul’s have learned in the past. This idea is essentially the basis of the argument between Socrates and Meno. Socrates tries to prove this to Meno by calling over one of Meno’s servant and confirms that the boy has no knowledge of mathematics. At first, the boy seemed to have no knowledge about Socrates problem. But, through step-by-step questions, the boy was able to provide a correct answer to Socrates problem. Therefore, Socrates states that, since he had no knowledge of geometry in his life, he must have already known it and he was able to…

    • 376 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Socrates Unjust Analysis

    • 872 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Socrates, one of the greatest minds go Ancient Greece’s was no exception. As a sophist, Socrates was considered a teacher of the noble. Sophist of Greed taught young men ’arete’: excellence or virtue for a price. However, Socrates wasn’t a regular sophist, he never accepted any monetary reward for his ’teachings“ (b316,p813) and he never actually taught anything but rather trained minds to think. Socrates states at the trail that he doesn’t have any true knowledge and he believed that in order to have any true knowledge one must be able to produce a single, clear definition of a subject without any exclusions to the rule, something that he was never able believed that he couldn’t do.Rather than use he own opinions to teach his pupils what to think, Socrates used ”systematic questioning“ (b136p813) to help clear their own minds and reach their own conclusions just by thinking. A skill that they could carry forward, into their lives as Athenian citizens. With this in mind, it is nearly impossible for the Athenians government to find Socrates guilty of…

    • 872 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    There is a certain positive position taken when the words knowledge and individual power are placed together. As my mind flooded with emerging ideas to define my feelings and thoughts on these words I kept coming back to independence, healthy self esteem and accepting. Reading through the assigned stories and poems and there analysis by others, I found that they too concluded a certain theme of accepting others once they were more informed. My view and the excerpts from Lauren Axelrod well written analysis below seem to be the same. Knowledge gives self empowerment.…

    • 787 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays