Socrates Argument Of Recollection
SOCRATES AND THE ARGUMENT OF RECOLLECTION
A.Whitley
Philosophy 380: Death, Dying, and the Quality of Life
February 5, 2018
Socrates claims that “learning is no other than recollection.” Both Cebes and Simmias point out that in order for Socrates to convince them that the soul existed before birth.
The argument starts by Socrates confirming with Simmias. Socrates states, “if anyone recollects anything, he must have known it before.” Simmias agrees with this definition of recollection. Socrates builds on this idea by adding that if knowledge comes to the mind, then it is also recollection. This is based on how we perceive one thing but recollect something similar or different. Socrates provides …show more content…
The concept of form is one of Socrates most defined theories. Forms are entities that are like concepts but possess causality. Forms are universal. They can apply to many things. For example, a chair is still a chair even if a particular chair is different from another. It is also identical to itself. This means that the form does not change even if particulars change. This also means that forms exist outside of space and time. For example, even if all chairs were destroyed, the form of the chair still exists. Lastly, forms are objects of knowledge. This means that as long as you know the form, you can identify a …show more content…
Simmias agrees there is a “considerable deficiency” in the form of equality. Socrates follows this by stating “We must then possess knowledge of the Equal before that time when we first saw the equal objects and realized that all these objects strive to be like the Equal but are deficient in this.” We know that in order to recognize any particular you must know the form for which that is a particular. He continues by stating: “Our sense perceptions must surely make us realize that all that we perceive through them is striving to reach that which is equal but falls short of it.” Therefore, our perceptions confirm some particular to be equal, but we know they fall short of the form of equal. Lastly, Socrates confirms “we had this knowledge, we knew before birth and immediately after not only the Equal, but the Greater and the Smaller and all such things.” Simmias agrees that we know the form of the Equal and all things about which we have knowledge prior to
A.Whitley
Philosophy 380: Death, Dying, and the Quality of Life
February 5, 2018
Socrates claims that “learning is no other than recollection.” Both Cebes and Simmias point out that in order for Socrates to convince them that the soul existed before birth.
The argument starts by Socrates confirming with Simmias. Socrates states, “if anyone recollects anything, he must have known it before.” Simmias agrees with this definition of recollection. Socrates builds on this idea by adding that if knowledge comes to the mind, then it is also recollection. This is based on how we perceive one thing but recollect something similar or different. Socrates provides …show more content…
The concept of form is one of Socrates most defined theories. Forms are entities that are like concepts but possess causality. Forms are universal. They can apply to many things. For example, a chair is still a chair even if a particular chair is different from another. It is also identical to itself. This means that the form does not change even if particulars change. This also means that forms exist outside of space and time. For example, even if all chairs were destroyed, the form of the chair still exists. Lastly, forms are objects of knowledge. This means that as long as you know the form, you can identify a …show more content…
Simmias agrees there is a “considerable deficiency” in the form of equality. Socrates follows this by stating “We must then possess knowledge of the Equal before that time when we first saw the equal objects and realized that all these objects strive to be like the Equal but are deficient in this.” We know that in order to recognize any particular you must know the form for which that is a particular. He continues by stating: “Our sense perceptions must surely make us realize that all that we perceive through them is striving to reach that which is equal but falls short of it.” Therefore, our perceptions confirm some particular to be equal, but we know they fall short of the form of equal. Lastly, Socrates confirms “we had this knowledge, we knew before birth and immediately after not only the Equal, but the Greater and the Smaller and all such things.” Simmias agrees that we know the form of the Equal and all things about which we have knowledge prior to